Melting Jack
by BonniePride
Summary: Jack Frost gets too hot while attending Jamie's birthday party and becomes human again. When the Bennetts take him in, will he have to decide between his growing attachments to his new family and his duties as a Guardian? Family secrets will be uncovered and past hurts will be mended as Jack tries to piece together his new and old lives. (Rated T due to reference to child abuse)
1. Chapter 1

Welcome to the story everyone! I'm so glad you're joining me for the telling of this tale. This story started out as what I thought would be a short fanfic—three chapters at most. Boy was I wrong! It took me on an incredible journey, going places I never thought I'd go, but in the end it was well worth it. Things are going to be crazy, fun, and maybe even a little scary from time to time, but it's going to be a fun story. I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I did writing it. You're probably ready to get started reading, so I'll let you get to it. Without further ado, "Melting Jack"!

0o0

"Jack! Jack!" Jack Frost smiled as he saw his young friend Jamie come racing towards him from the school building.

"Hey squirt," Jack replied, ruffling the boy's hair. "How ya doin'?"

"Great," Jamie said, practically jumping up and down with excitement. "Do you have time to play today?"

"Are you kidding me? I always have time for my first believer," Jack told him with a grin.

"Awesome!" Jamie cried, punching the air. "Do you want to come to the playground with me and the others?"

Jack stiffened slightly, his grin freezing on his face. Usually he would be more than happy to go with Jamie to the park. In fact, he had been doing it all spring. But not that summer was almost upon them, it was beginning to get hot outside—very hot. So hot, in fact, that by this time of year Jack had usually moved to the Southern hemisphere, both to help the other harbingers of winter with the weather, and for his own safety. He honestly didn't know what would happen if he stayed out in the heat too long, but he'd had enough close encounters to be wary of it.

"Well kiddo," he finally said, "maybe not today. It's pretty hot, and as you might guess, since I'm a winter spirit I don't do so well in the heat."

"Oh." Jamie looked up at him with big eyes. "I understand."

"Thanks." Jack gave him a grateful smile. "Do you mind hanging out here in the shade?"

Jamie gave him a big smile. "Sure!" For the next hour Jack regaled him with stories of his travels, illustrating with frost images. Jamie watched with rapt attention for most of the time, but near the end, Jack noticed that he was getting antsy.

"What's wrong Jamester?" Jack asked, breaking off mid-story.

"It's nothing," Jamie said quickly.

"Nothing? You look like a whole family of earthworms just took up residence in your shirt. C'mon, you can tell me." Jack gave him an encouraging smile.

"Well…" Jamie hesitated for a minute, then blurted, "Jack, what happens if you get too hot? Will you melt? Will you d-die?"

"What?" Jack wondered if the boy was joking, but the expression on his face was sincerely concerned. Jack shook his head. "Honestly, I don't know Jamie. I've never actually had the chance to test that theory." The look of horror on Jamie's face caused him to continue quickly, "But hey, I'm sure I'll never have to. I know how to take care of myself, and I'd never let myself overheat. So don't you worry about it, okay?"

"All right," Jamie reluctantly agreed. Then his face brightened. "Oh hey, I just remembered. I'm having a birthday party next week!"

"Good for you," Jack said, laughing at how easily the little boy could forget his troubles. It never ceased to amaze him just how resilient kids could be.

"I was thinking it would be really cool if you came," Jamie continued. He reached into his backpack and pulled out five envelopes. "Sophie asked me to invite Bunnymund, so I thought maybe you could invite the other Guardians too."

"Wow." Jack took the envelopes, staring down at them in surprise. "I don't know what to say."

"Please say yes," Jamie begged. "A lot of my relatives and friends are coming, and there's going to be a bounce house and cake and ice cream—"

"Ice cream, huh?" Jack chuckled, carefully tearing open one of the envelopes and pulling out the invite. He looked down and was pleasantly surprised to see that the invite was covered in sparkling blue and white snowflakes. In the corner was pasted a crayon drawing of himself.

"It's a Jack Frost party," Jamie explained, reddening a little. "I-I was hoping that you wouldn't mind. I chose the theme because you're my hero."

Jack felt his heart swell with pride. "Well you can't very well have a Jack Frost party without the King of Frost present, huh?" he asked.

"So you'll come?" Jamie exclaimed.

"I wouldn't miss it for the world," Jack replied, giving him a friendly noogie.

"Awesome!" Jamie looked like he was going to burst with happiness as he swung his backpack over his shoulder. "I've got to go now, but I'll see you soon, okay?"

"Okay," Jack told him waving goodbye. He shook his head, chuckling quietly as the little boy took off across the school yard. Then he winced as he felt a hot ray of sun hit the top of his head. "Augh," he cried quietly, moving out of the sunbeam's path. Tenderly he rubbed the spot, which felt like it was on fire. He knew that it was time for him to head somewhere cooler, but the heat was making him feel sluggish and as limp as a melted cold pack. With great effort he forced himself off of the ground and set course northward. Fortunately, the closer he moved toward the pole, the more energized he felt. He didn't even notice the on strand of hair that had come into direct contact with the sunlight fading slowly from brown back to white.


	2. Chapter 2

Hey everyone! Welcome back for the second chapter. Hope that y'all are enjoying the story so far. Jack's been invited to Jamie's party, and is super excited to go. But there may be a little snag in his plans…

0o0

"Welcome, welcome!" North boomed as Jack came in for a landing on the balcony just outside the toymaker's workshop. "How goes it with you?"

"I'm doing all right 'Santa'," Jack joked, using one of the many nicknames used for North by children around the world. He was always glad to see the old man, who had become a bit of a father figure to him, but today he was especially happy because of the news from Jamie. He wanted to tell everyone at once, however, so he asked, "Hey, are Bunny, Sandy, and Tooth here?"

"Yes, actually," North replied, looking surprised at Jack's question. "Why? Is there problem?"

"No, not a problem," Jack reassured him. "The exact opposite, actually. I've got some good news."

North's face broke out into a huge smile. "Well then, come. We will share these glad tidings with the others." He clapped a large hand onto Jack's shoulder and led him into the giant workshop.

Jack still felt slightly in awe whenever he visited the North Pole. It was like a kid's dream come true, filled with more toys and goodies than an entire mall at Christmastime. He smiled as he thought about how much fun Jamie would have in this place, and made a mental note to ask North about arranging a visit.

Soon the two arrived in the conference room. It didn't seem possible that not more than a few months ago Pitch had invaded this sanctum and almost destroyed the faith of every child in the world in the guardians. Jack couldn't help but shudder a bit and he glanced over at the large globe, now covered with tiny specks of golden light that represented believing children, just for reassurance that the nightmare was truly over.

"Jack!" Jack heard someone cry. An instant later he was being hug-attacked by the colorfully feathered guardian of memories.

"Hey Tooth," he said, giving her an awkward pat on the back as her tiny tooth fairies darted around them. At this point he still viewed Tooth as more of a sister than anything. Maybe it could eventually develop into something more, but who knew?

"G'day mate," Bunnymund called from a recliner, giving him a half-wave with one of his boomerangs and was openly smirking at the teen's discomfort. Jack just rolled his eyes at the Aussie before focusing his attention on the golden gentleman waving enthusiastically at him from his golden cloud near the ceiling.

"Hey Sandy," he called, and the little man instantly conjured up a smiley face about his head to show his pleasure at seeing him. Sandy was one of Jack's oldest friends, someone he had confided in from time to time during his long years of isolation before becoming a guardian. The winter sprite considered Sandy, or the Sand Man as he was officially know, to be a role model: someone who effortlessly brought joy to children and always put the well-being of others first.

"So," North said finally, coughing loudly and pointedly enough for Tooth to realize that the hug had been going on a bit too long and flitter away red-faced, "You said you had news for us, Jack?"

"Oh yeah." Jack nodded, pulling the four unopened envelopes out of his sweatshirt pocket. "Jamie invited all of us to his birthday party next week."

"A birthday party?" Tooth exclaimed, her feathers fluffing out in excitement. "Oh my gosh, I've never been invited to one of those before!"

"It sounds like fun," North chuckled, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. "I can try some of my new toy designs out with the children."

Sandy, who was of course always silent, made a golden party hat and placed it on his head, blowing into a small golden noise maker enthusiastically.

"Oh crikey," Bunnymund groaned as he opened the invitation. "A Jack Frost party? As if you were conceited enough."

"Oh, don't be such a mudstick," North laughed, pounding him on the back. "Think of all the joy it will bring to the children."

"It think it sounds wonderful," Tooth sighed dreamily, then instantly blushed again.

"C'mon Bunny," Jack said in a falsely sweet tone, "Jamie said that Sophie asked for you especially. You wouldn't want to let her down now, would you?"

"All right fine, I'll go," Bunnymund snapped. "But only for the little ankle-biter."

Jack grinned. "great. I'll let Jamie know that we'll all be attending, then."

"Wait a minute," Tooth spoke up suddenly. She was looking down at the invitation. "It says here that the party is going to be held in the backyard. That's outside, Jack!"

"So?" Jack asked, leaning on his staff. "What's the big deal? I'm outside all the time."

"But not in summer," Tooth reminded him, her big violet eyes filled with concern. "You're a winter spirit, Jack. Prolonged exposure to heat could be harmful."

"She does make good point," North said, fiddling thoughtfully with his beard. "Could this be problem for you?"

"No," Jack protested, trying to sound more confident than he felt.

"Be reasonable," Bunnymund said, getting up from his chair and hopping over, his usual bantering tone gone. "I know that this probably means a lot to you, but you can't go risking your health just to go to some party."

"It's not just 'some party'," Jack replied hotly. "It's Jamie's birthday and I intend to be there. I already promised him that I would go, and I don't plan on disappointing him."

"But Jack," Tooth began again. Jack wasn't listening to any more arguments, though.

"I'll see you guys there—as long as none of you chicken out," Jack called over his shoulder as he took off down the hallway, feeling a mixture of anger and, unwanted, fear churning in his stomach. It wasn't until he was almost back at North's private workshop that he realized Sandy was following him.

"Please tell me that you're not going to try to talk me out of this too," Jack groaned. To his surprise, Sandy shook his head "no". "What then?" he asked, cocking his head curiously. Sandy pointed upwards, making an image of the moon.

"The Man in the Moon?" Jack guessed. "He has something to say?" Sandy nodded emphatically. "Okay, what did he tell you?"

Sandy brought up a picture of a little boy who looked a lot like Jamie standing in the middle of a party. A larger figure, assumedly Jack, flew down into the party. A big sun rose up above the scene, it's harsh rays beating down until the larger figure collapsed to the ground.

Jack swallowed convulsively. "Does this mean…if I got to the party, I'm going to die?"

Sandy considered this for a moment, then shook his head.

"No?" Jack felt a wave of relief wash over him. "Then what—"

Sandy conjured up a different scene, which showed the Jack figure standing at a crossroads. Both paths went off into the distance, their destinations obscured.

"So does this mean I'm going to have to make a choice?" Jack asked, "about whether or not I'm going to the party?"

Sandy started to nod, then stopped. He held up one finger and nodded, then two and shook his head "no".

"So yes to the first part, no to the second," Jack guessed. Sandy gave him a thumbs-up. "Well that doesn't make much sense," Jack complained. "How am I supposed to make a choice when I don't even know what I'm choosing about?"

Sandy patted his hand, looking up at him with sympathetic eyes. "All right, so I am supposed to go to the party." Sandy gave a small shrug, then tapped Jack gently on the top of his head, then on his chest. "You're saying listen to my head and my heart?" Jack sighted. Sandy gave him one last nod, then smiled encouragingly at him and floated away.

"All right then," Jack said quietly, feeling a small surge of courage. "I'm going to make that party, no matter what comes."


	3. Chapter 3

It's the day of the party, and Jack is determined to go. But after the seemingly dire predictions at the Pole, what's going to happen to him? Read on to find out!

0o0

By the time Jack arrived at Jamie's house the following Saturday, the party was in full swing. Children and adults filled the backyard. Cheerful conversation and happy screams mingled with music to create a decidedly festive atmosphere. It was exactly the type of celebration to make the guardian of fun feel right at home. If only it weren't so hot. Not a single cloud dotted the cerulean sky, dashing any hopes that Jack had that the day might prove to be a cool one. He wondered if he couldn't create a small blizzard, but decided against it, partially because he was worried that it might ruin Jamie's party and partially because the heat was making him feel so drained that he wasn't sure he could summon up a snowstorm even if he wanted to.

"Oh well," he thought, "I'll just make that best of the situation and try to stay in the shade as much as possible." Pulling his hood forward and one last time for protection, he angled downwards and into the thick of the party.

He landed softly on the grass, feeling glad for once that he was invisible to most people. It allowed him to make his way inconspicuously through the crowd of grownups, over to the little patch of grass where the children were congregated. It didn't take Jack long to spot Jamie bouncing with his friends in the giant blue bounce house. He waved to this little friend, wincing slightly as the summer sun beat down on him.

"Jack!" Jamie exclaimed, catching sight of him while in mid-jump. Distracted, the boy didn't pay as much attention as he should have to his landing, ending up falling hard on the rubber floor of the inflatable, then rolling right out the flapped door and onto the ground with a "thud."

"Jamie!" Jack cried, rushing forward. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine," Jamie replied, lifting his face up from the ground. He spit out a mouthful of grass and dirt, along with something small and white. "Oh cool, I lost a tooth!" he said excitedly, picking it up and holding it out for Jack to see.

"Nice," Jack laughed. He never grew tired of Jamie's endless enthusiasm. "You'll have to make sure to put it under your pillow for one of Tooth's fairies to pick up tonight."

"Or," said a musical voice from behind them, "you could save them the trouble and give it right to me."

"Tooth Fairy!" the boy cried in delight as he looked past Jack. "Easter Bunny! Santa Claus! Sand Man!" Jack turned around to see the rest of guardians standing just inside the gate.

"Surprise! Happy Birthday!" Tooth sang, flittering over to Jamie. She slipped a shiny coin into his hand as she took the tooth from him. "Sh, don't tell the other fairies I was working off the clock," she whispered jokingly, giving him a wink.

"Nuh-uh," Jamie agreed, grinning from ear to ear.

"Many Happy Birthdays to you Jamie," North said, laughing with all his jolly might. "I can feel it in my belly that this is going to be a very special year for you."

"Um, thanks?" Jamie said, a little confused. All traces of hesitancy disappeared, though, when North swung his sack down to the ground and invited him to look inside. "Oh, awesome!" he cried excitedly, his voice muffled by the cloth. He reappeared a moment later holding five little wooden figures, carved and painted to look exactly like the guardians. "It's you guys! Thanks Santa!" North gave him a cheerful nod.

Not to be outdone, Bunnymund hopped forward with his own gift. "Happy Birthday mate," he said, handing Jamie a smaller version of one of his own boomerangs. "Now don't go throwing that around without proper supervision," he warned him. "That can be dangerous if used improperly, but I'm planning to give you a little training on how to use it."

"Wow." Jamie looked up at him, awed. "Thank you." Bunnymund twitched his whiskers in a pleased way.

Sandy was next. He handed Jamie a small sack with a label that read, "Extra Special Birthday Dream. Directions: Pour over head at bedtime, guaranteed to create wonderful dreams and restful night's sleep."

"Thanks," Jamie said, smiling at the strange but wonderful gift. Sandy bowed and tipped a golden hat to him, giving him a cheerful thumbs-up with his free hand.

By this time, most of the children at the party had taken notice of the guardians and were crowding around, anxious to catch a glimpse of the legendary figures. Jack was surprised that more than a few actually saw him, and started pointing him out to the others. He knew he had Jamie to thank for it, and he would have been even more excited if he weren't feeling like a popsicle left out too long in the sun. Still, he tried to keep a smile on his face as he made his way to the edge of the crowd, letting his better known colleagues take the spotlight. He headed for the one tree in the yard, hoping to find some respite from the heat. He barely had the energy to stumble into its shadow. A few moment later he realized that even it wouldn't do much good—the stifling summer air was all around him, like a constrictive cocoon or a smothering blanket. He could literally feel the cold melting off and out of him, running down his skin in little streams of water. Something was wrong. Very, very wrong. His head was spinning, and his limbs felt like lead weights. His vision was starting to blur, so he could barely make out Jamie breaking away from the group and heading over to him.

"Jack? Are you okay? Jack!" The words sounded like they were coming through a tunnel, spoken from a million miles away. It felt like the whole world was melting around him, finally crashing over him in one dark wave.

"Help!" Jamie screamed as he saw Jack tumble to the ground. "Please, somebody help!" Tears ran down his face as he reached his friend. He grabbed Jack's hand. It wasn't freezing like it usually was. I wasn't even cold—it was hot. "No," he whispered, fighting back sobs as he felt the other guardians joining him.

"Oh no!" Tooth cried, her voice catching. Sandy was sending up a cacophony of distress signals.

"Ax!" North gasped as he caught sight of the boy.

"Jack, consarnit you fool, what were you thinking? Don't you dare leave us!" Bunnymund shouted, reaching past Jamie and shaking the comatose guardian. "Wake up! C'mon, wake up!"

"Stop it!" Jamie sob-shouted. "You'll hurt him!"

Bunnymund looked like he wanted to argue, but North stopped him. "Wait, something's happening!" Slowly, almost imperceptibly, Jack's skin and hair began to grow darker. His cheeks took on a rosy glow, and suddenly breath started to pass through his lips. Jamie let out a joyous shout.

"Oh thank God!" Tooth sighed. "He's alive!"

"Yes he's alive, but look at him!" Bunnymund cried. "He looks totally different."

"Not totally," North said, rubbing his chin agitatedly. "But yes, this is strange. I wonder what other changes—" Before he could finish his sentence, an adult female voice cried out.

"Oh my! Jamie, what's happened?" A lady with dark brown hair and big brown eyes raced towards them. Oblivious to the four guardians, she knelt beside both boys and took Jack's head in her hands.

"You—you can see him?" Jamie stammered, still recovering from the shock of almost losing his friend. The guardians all exchanged a look.

"Of course I can see him," the lady replied impatiently. But a moment later she tenderly brushed a lock of Jack's hair off of his face. "Who is he, and what happened to him?"

"He's a friend of mine," Jamie explained through his tears. "He f-fainted."

"No wonder," the woman said, shaking her head. "This heat is enough to make anyone pass out. He must have gotten dehydrated. Fredrick? Fredrick!" She waved a tall man with blond hair and broad shoulders over. "Please take this young man inside. He's fainted from the heart and needs to get cooled down."

"Of course," the man replied, reaching down and picking up Jack as easily and gently as if he were handling a lamb. He had an odd look on his face as he headed back towards the house, walking straight through an invisible North. North gasped, involuntarily grabbing his middle.

"Come on Jamie, let's follow them in and make sure your friend is all right," Jamie's mom said. She took Jamie by the shoulder and steered him towards the house, calling as she went, "I'm sorry everyone, but the party is concluding a little early. Thank you very much for coming."

As people filed out of the yard, North turned to the others, his eyes still wide with shock. "Did-you-see-that?" he finally whispered.

"Yeah, they just took Jack into the house!" Tooth cried, her wings beating erratically. "We need to go after him!"

"Not that luv," Bunnymund said, putting a hand on her shoulder to keep her from flying off. "Those adults could see him. They could touch him. And unless they're believers—which I seriously doubt since that man just walked through North—something has gone seriously wrong with Jack."

0o0

Oh my goodness! Jack had a meltdown—literally! What's going to happen to him now?! We'll find out in the next chapter.


	4. Chapter 4

After the last chapter, you're probably all wondering what on Earth is going to happen to Jack. Well, I won't keep you from finding out. Read on to discover what has become of our not-so-frosty friend.

0o0

Jack awoke feeling groggy and disoriented. He couldn't remember where he was or what had happened to him. The one thing he was aware of was that he was very, very warm—and for once, that fact didn't frighten him. In fact, it felt sort of nice—like something from a distant memory.

A door somewhere nearby creaked open, and a shaft of light shone into the otherwise dark room. Jack tried to turn his head to see who was coming in, but it felt too heavy to even move, so he just listened as the sound of quiet footsteps came steadily closer. One soft, smooth hand supported his head as another spooned warm broth into his mouth. He blinked as the face of a woman swam into view. It was kind and gentle, and somehow familiar. "Mom?" he murmured, halfway between the dream world and reality.

"You poor thing," the woman said gently, stroking his hair. "You must be exhausted. Go back to sleep, and I'll check on you again soon." She got up to leave, but somehow Jack's hand reached out, as of its own accord, and caught her wrist. "Don't go," he whispered. The woman stopped, turning back to look at him with tears in her eyes. She sat back down on the bed, cradling his head in her arms and singing softly until he fell fast asleep.

Jack's eyes snapped open. Sunlight was streaming down on him from a window and birds sang blithely outside, but in spite of all this cheeriness Jack felt panicked. He was in a room he didn't recognize, and he had no idea where he was, how he'd gotten there, or what was happening to him. The last thing he remembered was being at Jamie's party and feeling like he was on fire. Now, however, he had to rub his arms as cool air from a vent blew down on him to keep from freezing. "Wait…" he stopped rubbing his arms. He was… cold? Jack Frost didn't get cold. He was the cold. Yet somehow he was getting chilled. What's more, the chill that he always carried inside of him like a living flame was gone. Frantic, Jack searched for his staff. There! It was leaning up against the wall. He grabbed hold of it and tried to get it to create something cold—anything cold. A blizzard, a snowstorm—he would have settled for a snowflake. But nothing happened.

"No! This can't be happening!" he thought, running his fingers through his hair. That's when he caught sight of his reflection in a small, square-shaped mirror on the wall.

"Holy cow," he whispered. He moved in for a closer inspection. "It must be a trick of the light," he thought at first. But there was no denying it. His snow-white hair had become a dark brown, his ice-blue eyes turned a hazelnut color, and his usually frosty skin was now a light tan. If he hadn't know any better, he would have said that he looked positively…human.

A knock on the door caused him to leap into the air, but unfortunately his ability of flight seemed to have deserted him too and he went crashing back down to the floor. The door flew open and before he even knew what was happening, a woman was by his side, helping him stand up.

"Are you okay?" she cried. "You really shouldn't have tried to stand up in your condition." Jack grunted his thanks before realizing what was happening.

"Wait, you can see me?" he asked in surprise.

"Of course I can see you," the woman laughed as she got him up onto the bed. "Jamie asked me the same thing about you. Is this some sort of game you two play?"

"Sort of." Jack shook his head. "How long have I been out?"

"You fainted from heat exhaustion yesterday afternoon, and you haven't fully woken up since then. You said a few things in your sleep last night when I tried to give you water or broth, but that was about it," the lady responded gently.

"Yesterday! Oh man, the others are probably worried sick about me by now," Jack cried in dismay.

"Others?" the woman gave him a curious look. "Do you mean your family?"

"No, just friends of mine," Jack explained. He hesitated a moment before adding, "I don't really have a family."

"You don't?" the woman gasped. "You mean you're an orphan?"

"I've never really considered myself one," Jack replied with a nervous chuckle. "My family died a really long time ago, so I can't I've ever fully experienced the loss." That was half-true, anyway. He had always wondered if he'd had a family before he had recently regained his memories, and afterward he really hadn't allowed himself to dwell on it too much. It hurt to think that his "death" had probably caused them much pain and grief, and that he could never go back and make things right with them.

"So, these friends of yours," the woman said, breaking into his train of thought, "do you stay with them?"

"Uh, sometimes," Jack replied, wondering why she was asking so many questions. "More often than not, though, I just find a tree to bunk down in whenever I get tired."

"You don't even have a place to live?" The woman pressed her hands to her mouth, looking like she might actually cry. Then she got a determined look on her face. "All right, that settles it."

"That settles what?" Jack asked, his stomach giving a nervous twist.

"You, young man, are going to live with us from now on."

"Us?"

"Jamie, Sophie, and myself," the woman replied.

"But—" Jack started to protest, but the woman wouldn't let him finish.

"No arguing with me on this one, Jacob," she said, putting her hand up to stop him. She got up from the edge of the bed where she'd been sitting. "I'll have breakfast ready for you downstairs once you've changed out of those ratty old clothes. I left some new ones for you in the bathroom down the hall. The kids are at church with my brother, but I'll expect to see you in a few minutes.

"'Jacob'?" Jack wondered as she left. Had she heard his name wrong from Jamie? For that matter, how was she even able to see and hear him? It all seemed boil down to trouble. There was a lot of unknowns at this point, but he knew things were going to be very different from now on.


	5. Chapter 5

Wow, a lot has happened in such a short time! Mrs. Bennett seems to be offering Jack a place to stay, at least for now. But what will Jamie and Sophie think of this new arrangement? What are Mrs. Bennett's motives for taking Jack in? And who is this mysterious 'Jacob'?

0o0

It took Jack a few minutes to find the bathroom—he'd ended up in Jamie's and then Sophie's rooms before opening the correct door. Now he found a small pile of clothes sitting on the sink: a plain white t-shirt, a brown hoodie, and a pair of khaki pants. He hated to part with the clothes that had lasted him for the better part of three centuries, but he didn't want to offend the lady who was currently letting him take up residence in her house, so on went the new garments. It was odd, but somehow the clothes fit perfectly, almost as if they'd been made for him. Looking at himself in them mirror, he couldn't help but notice that they looked similar to the clothes which he had worn back when he was a human child growing up in the dark ages.

He let out a long breath. Looking back at the mirror, there was no denying that he now looked undeniably like any other teenager in the town. With his powers no seemingly gone and his senses returned to that of a normal human, he couldn't help but wonder if he was on a temporary reprieve or if the effects of the meltdown were permanent.

Heading for the door, the sleeve of his new sweatshirt caught on a drawer beneath the sink. He turned to close it, only to pause when he saw a photograph sitting inside. Curiously, he picked it up fro a closer inspection. It was a picture of the Bennett family-a younger version of Jamie standing next to his mom, who looked pregnant (assumedly with Sophie.) A tall, wiry man with glasses and stick-up blond hair stood proudly behind them, and Jack guessed that he was Jamie's dad. Jamie had told him once that his dad had died in a car accident a few years ago, and Jack could see that it would have taken something like death to separate the man from his family, his face was so full of love. There was one final figure in the photo, half hidden behind Mrs. Bennett, and Jack had to squint to see him better. It was a teenage boy who looked slightly embarrassed to be in the shot. he had the hair color and eyes of the mother, but the wiry frame and hair of the though that the boy looked oddly familiar...

"Are you all right in there?" Mrs. Bennett called, knocking on the door.

"Oh," Jack said, fumbling with the photograph, finally shoving both it and the drawer back into place. "Y-yes."

"Okay. I just wanted to make sure you were all right. you were taking such a long while-"

"Yeah, I'm fine," Jack responded.

"All right. Well, I'll be downstairs when you're ready." He waited until he had heard her footsteps fade away before opening the door. His heart was racing, and he felt somewhat guilty for prying into what technically the family's private business. Following the scent of bacon, he made his way down the stairs, through the living room, and into the tiny kitchen. Mrs. Bennett was sitting at the table drinking coffee from a mug when he entered. She had a far-away look in her eyes, as if staring at something far away-or far in the past. Jack coughed quietly into his hand to alert her of his presence, not wishing to startle her.

"Oh" Jamie's mom looked up, as if surprised to see him there. "Goodness, you were so quiet that I didn't even hear you come in. Please, sit down." She directed him to a chair, then went to the stove an dished some bacon onto a plate. "Here, eat up," she told him, adding a few pieces of toast. "It's not much, but you must be half starved."

"Thank you," he said as she sat back down across from him. He felt somewhat awkward eating with her watching him, especially since he hadn't really eaten in the presence of anyone in years and he knew his table manners probably left something to be desired. But Mrs. Bennett didn't even appear to notice, seeming to take pleasure from watching him.

"How old are you Jack?" she finally asked. Jack was so unprepared for the question that he almost choked on his toast.

"Oh, I'm so sorry!" Mrs. Bennett apologized, hurrying to bring him a glass of water. "I should have told you that Jamie told me your name last night instead of just using it like that."

"S'okay," Jack replied. Part of him had been surprised at her using his name, especially after the mix up with "Jacob" earlier. But it was more so that he had no idea how to respond to her question. For one thing, he honestly didn't know his age, and for another, even if he did, she probably wouldn't believe him even if he told her. So he tried to remember back to the last birthday he'd had before the accident. "I think... I'm not sure, but fourteen?"

Mrs. Bennett sucked in a sudden breath, but quickly past a smile on her face. "Fourteen. Wow. Have you had much schooling?"

"No ma'am," Jack answered, wondering why she had seemed so surprised. "I do know how to read and write, but I haven't had a formal education for quite some time.

"Well, we'll just have to remedy that," Mrs. Bennett told him, beaming. "I'm actually a teacher over at the local junior high, and even though you might be a bit older than the other students, I think that would be just the level to start you at."

"School? You can't be serious," Jack gasped. He hadn't even considered this as a possibility. He'd heard of schools and seen more than a few in his time traversing the globe. But the idea of actually attending one had never crossed his mind.

"Well if you plan on staying in this house, you'd better get used to the idea," Mr. Bennett said, a teasing glint in her eyes.

"Wait… you're inviting me to stay? Permanently?" Jack's previous shock at the idea of going to school was blown away by this new concept. Mrs. Bennett grinned at him.

"I know it's sudden, but I'd really like you to consider it," she said, reaching over and taking one of his hands in hers.

"I-I don't know what to say," Jack stammered. A million thoughts ran through his mind. He hadn't really considered what he would do now that he had lost his powers. Superficially he'd assumed that he could continue on as before, but now realized that, realistically, he couldn't. He was no longer connected to the elements, so he was no longer protected from them. Maybe he could stay with one of the other guardians, but honestly, how long could he expect them to keep him now that he was no longer able to fulfill his duties as a guardian? Not only that, but if he truly had become human again, he was going to start aging like a normal person. Maybe he did need to start planning for the future.

"Jamie's told me about what a good friend you've been to him and Sophie over the past few months," Mrs. Bennett told him. "I'll be honest, ever since my husband passed away I never feel that I have enough time to take care of them properly. Having an extra pair of hands around the house would be so helpful, and it would ease my mind knowing that someone was watching out for them whenever I'm at my night job. I'd provide food, lodging, and clothing for you, and you could be an older brother to Jamie and Sophie."

"Brother?" Jack had never though he would hold that title again, but the thought of being one now was almost like getting a second chance.

"Please Jack," Mrs. Bennett pleaded with him. "I can't explain it, but I feel like… like God sent you to us. Won't you please consider it?"

Jack met eyes with her, and in that instant his mind was made up. "All right. I'll stay."

"you will?" Mrs. Bennett cried. "That's wonderful! Thank you Jack." She actually had tears in her eyes as she reached across the table and gave him a hug. Jack wondered if it should feel weird, but it didn't. It felt like he was getting all of the hugs his own mom had given him three hundred years ago all wrapped into one.

"Mom, we're home!" Jack heard Jamie all from somewhere near the front of the house.

"Goodness, what time is it?" Mrs. Bennett asked, glancing over at the clock on the stove, laughing as she let Jack go. "Oh look at me, I'm such a mess."

"You look wonderful," Jack reassured her, adding with a half-smile, "mom."

Jamie and Sophie came bounding into the kitchen, stopping short as they saw Jack and their mom sitting at the table.

"Jack, you're okay!" Jamie exclaimed.

"Yeah, I'm feeling much better," Jack told him, standing up to prove it. "See? Fit as fiddle."

"Thank goodness," Jamie sighed. Then he got a concerned look on his face. "But wait, then how come you still look like that?"

Jacob winced slightly. He knew that these questions would be coming, but he honestly saw no reason to tell Mrs. Bennett about his past as Jack Frost. That was over and done with, as far as he was concerned, but for now he needed to keep Jamie distracted until he had a chance to explain that in private. So he knelt down in front of his young friend and said, "Hey kiddo. How would you like it if I told you I was coming here to stay—for good?"

"You mean it?" Jamie asked, his eyes going wide. "You'd be staying here forever?"

"Yup."

"Oh my gosh, this is the best thing ever!" Jamie cried, raising his fists in the air. Jack laughed and picked him up, swinging him upside down and making the little boy laugh.

"Jack! Jack!" Sophie said happily, clapping her hands. She didn't fully understand what was taking place, but she wanted to be part of the excitement too.

"What's all this?" A tall man entered the room, ducking to avoid hitting his head on the door frame.

"Oh, Fredrick, come in!" Mrs. Bennett called, still wiping her eyes. "we're having a bit of a celebration."

"Oh? What's the occasion?" the man asked, his face breaking into an easy smile.

"Fred, I'd like you to meet Jack," Mrs. Bennett said. Jack carefully swung Jamie back down to the ground, then stuck out his hand for a shake.

"How do you do sir?" he asked.

"Very well, thank you," Fredrick responded, shaking his hand. "Say, aren't you the lad who fainted yesterday at the party?"

"Yes sir," Jack replied, feeling a little embarrassed that the man was bringing it up.

"Jack, I'd like you to meet my brother, Fredrick," Mrs. Bennett continued.

"It's a pleasure to meet you," Jack said.

"The pleasure is all mine," Fredrick told him. Then he turned towards his sister. "But this still doesn't tell me what all the celebrating is about."

"Well," Mrs. Bennett replied, looking like she was going to burst with happiness, "Jack is coming to stay with us for a while."

"Really? Her brother asked, still smiling but a hint of disapproval making its way into his voice. "How long is 'a while'?"

"Well, if thing go as we hope, he's going to start living with us permanently," Mrs. Bennett replied, practically glowing. Her brother didn't seem to share her enthusiasm, but all he said was, "Ah."

Jack glanced over at him, wondering what the problem was, but before he could say anything, Mrs. Bennett asked cheerfully, "Who wants lunch?"


	6. Chapter 6

Wow, it looks like Jack is going to be staying with the Bennetts permanently! Jamie and Sophie are overjoyed by this. But what is Fredrick's problem? Well, read on to find out.

(Note: Before you read this chapter, just wanted to let you know where I'm coming from. I am a Christian, so my faith plays a role in my writing. When you read Mrs. Bennett and her brother's conversation, understand that I'm coming from that viewpoint and that I'm not being disrespectful to the faith: I'm just showing that Christians are flawed people too. Please be respectful of my views as I try to be respectful of yours. Thanks!)

0o0

Over a lunch of tuna fish sandwiches and carrot sticks, Jack tried to make polite conversation, but Fredrick only gave him short, stilted answers. About all he was able to learn was that he lived in Washington state, was a minister of a small church there, had come down to visit because of Jamie's birthday, and was leaving out early tomorrow morning. It was easier to turn the conversation over to Jamie, who was only too happy to tell them all about his Sunday school lesson on Jonah and the Whale.

After the lunch dishes were cleared, Jamie dragged Jack off into the living room to learn the intricacies of the fame Monopoly© while the adults talked in the kitchen. Jack was getting ready to buy Boardwalk when loud voices drew his attention. He cocked his ear, hoping to catch what the conversation was about.

"Jenifer, how on Earth do you plan on feeding another boy? You can barely afford the two children you have."

"Fredrick, we'll manage. God's been faithful so far, and I don't see any reason to doubt He will continue to provide, especially since it seems He's sent Jack to us."

"Sis, be reasonable. There's a difference between having faith and acting foolishly."

"Doesn't the Bible say we're supposed to take care of widows and orphans?"

"Yes, but that doesn't necessarily mean that you need to take someone in from off the streets, especially when you can barely provide for yourself. I think you're letting you emotions cloud you judgment on this."

"My judgment is just fine!"

"Oh really? Then tell me one good reason for why you're taking him in?"

"Because he can help me take care of Jamie and Sophie, not to mention which it's the right thing to do."

"True enough. But are you sure you're not just trying to replace Jacob?"

Jack felt his heart stop for a moment. There was that name again. Why did it seem so familiar? Mrs. Bennett spoke again, but with her voice lowered so Jack had to strain to hear her.

"Fredrick, haven't you noticed? Jack looks exactly like him."

"Well, I must admit I have noticed some similarities—"

"Some? They could be twins! Not only that, but I asked Jack how old he was, and he said fourteen. Fourteen! That's exactly how old Jacob was. I even gave Jack some of his old clothes to wear, and they fit him perfectly."

"Jen, you're not suggesting—"

"No, I know he can't be the same person. But it's enough to make me feel like God sent him here for a reason. Maybe it's to give me a second chance."

Jack felt his face pale as she said those words. "A second chance." That's exactly what he'd said about Jamie earlier. But who was this Jacob person, and why was it so important that they were as alike as Mrs. Bennett seemed to feel that they were?"

"Jack? Jack!"

"Huh?" Jack snapped out of his reverie. He looked down and saw Jamie staring up at him, his tiny brow knit with concern.

"Why are mom and Uncle Fred fighting?" the little boy asked.

"I-I'm sure they're not fighting," Jack responded, hoping that wasn't a lie. "They're just having a discussion."

"A loud discussion," Jamie replied, not sounding convinced.

"Well, you don't need to worry about it, okay?" Jack told him, putting his hands on his shoulders. "How about… we have some fun?"

"What kind of fun?" Jamie asked, his face brightening a little.

"C'mon, let's go outside and I'll show you," he said, beckoning for him to follow. "You too, Soph," he added, taking the little girl's hand. He was still slightly amazed at how easily he was settling into the family. Maybe this was where he belonged after all.

Outside in the backyard, Jack surveyed the ground. Things had been cleared up from the previous day's celebration, but there were still a few stray plates and cups lying around. Across from them was an old playground set which had obviously seen better days. And over in the corner was the scraggly old oak under which Jack had taken cover the previous afternoon.

"All right, so here's the game," Jack said, crouching down to Jamie and Sophie level. "We're treasure hunters, on the hunt for—"

"Cookies!" Sophie burst in.

"Yes, cookies," Jack agreed, grinning. "But not just ordinary cookies. They're magical cookies."

"Cookies that give you super powers?" Jamie suggested.

"There ya go," Jack laughed. "But in order to get to them, we have to cross a huge volcano. That means the entire ground is lava."

"Augh!" Jamie screamed in fake terror, leaping back. Jack chuckled at how engrossed he already was in the game.

"Right. So if we want to get to them safely, we have to go around the yard without touching the ground."

"How are we going to do that?" Jamie cried. "It's impossible!"

"I'll show you," Jack told him. Deftly, he jumped off of the concrete door step onto the closest plate. Then he leaped to the next one, pretending to lose his balance. "Whoa!" he shouted, making Jamie laugh. "See? Nothing to it!" Jack told him.

Jamie carefully stretched one leg out until his foot touched the first plate. Then he brought his other leg over and grinned at his accomplishment.

"I did it!" he told Jack excitedly.

"I knew you could," Jack responded. "C'mon, let's go get that treasure!" Jack led the two children around the yard, trying to keep the game slightly scary but still fun.

"Lava giants at 3'oclock!" he would yell, or, "If you can snag a leaf from that bush, you get fireproof abilities for ten seconds." Jamie hung on his every word, as if he actually believed that they were inside a volcano. Sophie didn't quite understand what they were doing, and was prone to wander off into the grass, but Jack tied to keep her engaged by bringing her back onto the path and telling her too "hop like a bunny" to the next spot. Things went well until they reached the old playground. It looked a lot less sturdy up close than it had from across the yard, but Jack tested putting his weight on it and it seemed to be holding up.

"All right, here's where things get tricky," Jack turned back and whispered conspiratorially. "We've got thirty seconds to get across, or else we'll turn into lava toads. So the goal is to get up the climbing wall, across the bridge, and down the slide as fast as we can. Got it?"

"Got it!" Jamie whispered back.

"Gah it!" Sophie giggled.

"Okay," Jack said, reaching down and lifting her up onto the first platform. "Let's go!" Jamie raced up the climbing wall and across the bridge with expert speed. Jack wasn't too far behind him, holding Sophie's hand and whispering encouragements. He reached the second platform just as Jamie was reaching the end of the slide. The old plastic chute creaked and popped as he slid, but it held together.

"C'mon Jack, hurry!" Jamie shouted. "You've only got ten seconds left!"

"All right Soph," Jack said, crouching down to look Sophie in the eyes. "I'm going to slide down, and then when I tell you, you're going to slide down after me, okay?"

"O-kay!" Sophie responded with enthusiasm.

"Good girl." Jacked tucked a tiny lock of blond hair behind her ear, then pushed off and made his way down the slide. This time the slide made a sound like a dying animal, a few nuts and bolts popping of as he went. He definitely didn't like the idea of having Sophie come down it, so when he reached the bottom he immediately turned around to warn her. "Sophie, don't—" he began to say, but unfortunately she took this as the signal and sat down on the top of the slide.

"One-two-" she counted, screwing up her eyes to summon her courage.

"Sophie, stop!" Jack called. At that moment, two things happened at once. The first was that the old slide decided to give up the ghost, cracking apart at an almost invisible hairline fracture and fell to the ground. The second was that Sophie shouted, "Free!" and pushed off—right into the open air. Time seemed to stand still as Sophie went into free-fall. Jack was frozen to the spot, unable to move. Behind him he could hear a noise. It was Jamie screaming, he realized. Somehow that revelation unfroze him and spurred him to action. Launching himself forward, Jack stretched out his arms, praying that he would make it in time. He vaguely felt the weight on his arms as Sophie landed in them. His body pivoted so he would take the blunt of the blow and protect the little girl. A moment later he felt spine connect with soft plastic, cushioning the impact as he came crashing back down to Earth.

"Again!" Sophie cried, once she'd gotten over her initial shock, bouncing up and down on Jack's chest.

"Sorry little girl, but just one ride per customer," Jack told her, groaning slightly as he rubbed his aching neck.

"Jack, are you okay?" Jamie cried, running up. Jack just shook his head, he could hear the screen of the back door creaking open, and then Mrs. Bennett calling, "Jamie, is everything all right?"

"Come quick, I think Jack's hurt," Jamie called anxiously.

"What?" There was a pause, then the "thud" of muffled footfalls on the packed earth. "Jack, what happened?" Mrs. Bennett shrieked as she looked down at him in horror. She lifted Sophie off of him, handing the little girl over to the just-arriving Fredrick.

"It was an accident," Jamie sobbed. "We were playing a game, and Sophie was supposed to come down the slide, but it broke and she fell and Jack jumped and caught her."

"Heaven help us," Mrs. Bennett whispered, her face going white. "Jack, please answer me if you can hear us."

"I'm fine," Jack told her groggily, pushing himself up off of the collapsed slide with aching limbs.

"Do you think he's going into shock?" Fredrick asked, sounding genuinely concerned. "Should I call an ambulance?"

"No," Jack croaked, staggering to his feet. "I'll be all right. Just tell me—is Sophie okay?"

"She is, thanks to you," Mrs. Bennett said, tears streaming down her cheeks. "You saved my baby's life." Jack nodded, feeling relieved.

"good." He turned gingerly to Jamie, still feeling sore. "Help me back to the house?" he asked, giving him a weary smile.

"Allow me," Fredrick said, offering Jack his arm. "You just saved my niece. It's the least I can do." Jack just nodded, suddenly too exhausted to argue. He refused Fredrick's offer to carry him, only using the older man's arm until they reached the stairs, at which point he was so worn out that he had to succumb to getting a lift the rest of the way.

As Fredrick laid Jack gingerly down on the bed he'd slept in the night before, he whispered in his ear, "I misjudged you Jack. I think you may be exactly what my sister and her family needs. Will you accept an over-protective brother's apologies?"

Jack barely had the strength to nod before falling into a deep sleep.


	7. Chapter 7

Wow! Jack and Sophie barely survived that last escapade. Who knew that being a big brother could be so much trouble? Well, it seems to be a new responsibility that Jack takes on gladly. However, what will the other Guardians think of this new lifestyle? Will they be happy for him, or is there going to be trouble in paradise?

0o0

Jack awoke in the middle of the night with the distinct feeling that he was being watched. He sat up and scanned the darkened room, searching for any tell-tale signs of an invader. At first he didn't see anything, but then he noticed a large rabbit's foot poking out of the shadows into the moonlight.

"Bunnymund?" he gasped, wrinkling his brow in confusion.

"Well, looks like someone's finally awake," Bunnymund quipped, stepping out into the light. "I was beginning to wonder if you were ever going to wake up. Did you know that you snore like a freight train?"

"Do not," Jack protested, but the familiarity of the banter made him smile.

"I had to keep him from stuffing pillow in your face," someone chuckled from out of the darkness.

"North?" Jack cried, pleasantly surprised. One by one the other guardians appeared until they were all gathered around his bed.

"We were so worried about you," Tooth told him, her huge purple eyes open even wider than usual.

"Well, as you can see, I'm fine," Jack told her, giving her a cheerful smile, then letting out a small cry as pain shot up his back.

"Jack, what's wrong?" Tooth asked, leaping forward nervously.

"Oh, it was just an accident involving a slide," Jack responded, rubbing his sore spine. "No big deal."

"No big deal?" Tooth sounded slightly hysterical. "Jack, you could have been seriously injured!"

"I'll be fine by morning," Jack laid back down gingerly. "Look, I appreciate all of your concern, but maybe we can finish this talk later—at a more reasonable hour?"

"This is joke, yes?" North chuckled.

"Why would you think it was a joke?" Jack asked, trying to hold back a yawn and a slight irritation at his friends for expecting him to be lucid at this time of night.

"Jack, you're usually awake all night and all through the day," Tooth reminded him gently. "Guardians like us don't usually sleep much." Sandy nodded, but then shook his head as if to say, "What a shame."

"Well news flash: I do need sleep now, because I'm no longer a Guardian," Jack snapped. An uncomfortable silence settled over the room.

"You're pullin' our legs, right Jack?" Bunny said after a minute, giving him a nervous nudge on the shoulder. "I mean, sure your hair and skin's a bit darker, but you're still the King of the Frost."

"No, I'm not," Jack shot back, surprising them all. "I've lost all of my powers. Believe me, I've tried to use them, but they're just gone."

"All of them?" Tooth whispered.

"All of them," confirmed Jack. "I can't so much as make one snowflake."

"And your staff?" North queried.

"Dead wood," Jack replied.

"Oh Jack," Tooth cried, pressing a hand to her mouth. "I'm so sorry."

"Don't worry mate, we'll find a way to get this fixed," Bunnymund asserted.

"That won't be necessary," Jack responded, forcing himself back up to a seated position and swinging his legs over the side of the bed.

"Why not?" North asked, giving him a worried look.

"Because," Jack sighed, "I've decided to remain human." There was a collective gasp.

"You can't be serious!" Tooth cried.

"Have you flipped your lid?" Bunny spat.

"You are guardian," North said emphatically. "That is who you are. You cannot turn your back on children!"

"I'm not," Jack replied. "I'm just going to be doing it a little differently."

"And how is that?" Bunnymund asked, folding his arms over his chest.

"Well… I've agreed to stay here and help Mrs. Bennett watch over Jamie and Sophie."

"Wait, wait, wait. Do you mean you've actually spoken to Jamie's mum?"

"Yes, and she actually offered to let me live here. She was willing to take care of me when I was hurt. Where were you guys?"

"We were giving you time to recover," North responded, sounding a little hurt.

"Well thanks, you certainly did that," Jack told him a little nastily. "You gave me enough time to recover from my meltdown and then re-injure myself."

"Jack, that wasn't our fault," Tooth said softly.

"I know," Jack replied, letting out an exasperated groan. "Look, I'd just really appreciate it if you guys would let me get back to sleep. I'm starting school in the morning and I'd like to be awake for it."

"School?"

"Yes. I'm going to school like a normal, human teenager," Jack responded, laying back down and pulling the blankets over his head. "Good night."

The others traded concerned glances, but they couldn't think of anything else to say. One by one they left the room, until only Sandy was left. He hesitated for a moment, then gently poked Jack on the shoulder. Jack sighed and pulled the covers down.

"I'm sorry Sandy," he said. "I know the others are upset. It's just… I feel like I've finally found a home here. Like I actually belong someplace. You understand, right?" Sandy gave him a sympathetic smile, patting his hand gently before holding out a small golden ball. "Thanks Sandy, but I think I'll manage without one of your sleep aids tonight," Jack told him with a weary smile. "I know you've got a lot of other kids who need your attention right now." Sandy gave him one last smile before floating out the window.

Jack had just settled back down when he heard a quiet knock at the door. "Come in," he called sleepily, forcing himself to stifle a yawn.

"Jack?" Jamie peeked his head in the door. "Were the guardians just here?"

"What makes you say that?" Jack asked, getting up and resigning himself to the fact that he probably wasn't going to get any more sleep that night.

"Well, I just heard Sophie talking to Bunnymund in her room…and I couldn't help overhearing what your guys were saying a little while ago," Jamie admitted. He looked up at Jack, his eyes wide with concern. "Jack, is it true that you're not having powers is going to cause problems?"

"What?" Jack got down on one knee and placed a protective hand on the boy's shoulder. "What would make you think that?"

"Well, North said that you were turning your back on children," Jamie said.

"Don't listen to what ol' sleigh man says," Jack told him. "And don't worry about my not having powers. The Guardians were doing just fine without me for centuries, and they'll do just fine now. Besides, I've got a new job to do."

"What's that?"

"Watching out for you and Sophie, that's what." Jack gave him a lopsided smile, which Jamie returned.

"Are you sure they'll be okay?"

"Absolutely. Now let's get you back to bed. Your mom wouldn't be too happy if she knew you were up this late. She might reconsider letting me stay here if she knew I was keeping you up."

"Okay," Jamie laughed. He started for the door, then turned back around. "Hey Jack?"

"Yeah?"

"Can I stay with you tonight?"

Jack felt a warm glow fill his chest. "Sure Jamie." He helped the little boy up onto the bed, then held him until he was sure that the little boy was fast asleep. Then he leaned his own head back and finally drifted off into a dreamless sleep.


	8. Chapter 8

After a rough night, all Jack probably wants to do is finally get some well-deserved sleep. But there is no rest for the weary. That's right, it's time to get up for…middle school!

0o0  
"Jack! Time to get up." Jack groaned as his eyes squinted up into the blazing sunlight. What was it with being human and having all these rude awakenings? "Come on Jack, I'm not calling you again."

Rolling his neck to get the stiffness out of it, he noticed that Jamie was still asleep next to him. "C'mon kiddo, the drill sergeant's calling," he said, poking the little boy to wake him up.

"Five more minutes," Jamie grumbled, turning over. Jack had to laugh.

"I don't think we want to cross mom," he reminded him. "If we don't get up now, she's liable to come after us."

"She wouldn't do that," Jamie mumbled into the mattress.

"I don't know. I think she may have been armed with a bucket of ice water," Jack said teasingly.

"She what?" Jamie sprang up.

"Not really," Jack chuckled. "But it got you to wake up."

"Why you!" Jamie cried, pushing Jack on the shoulder. Jack laughed and pushed him back. Within moments it turned into a wrestling match.

"Boys, honestly!" Mrs. Bennett said, throwing open the door and putting her hands on her hips. "This is no time for horseplay." She tried to sound stern, but Jack could see from the twinkle in her eyes that she was secretly pleased. Jack helped Jamie up, and the two headed for the door.

"Oh, Jack, there are more clean clothes for you in the closet," Mrs. Bennett called over her shoulder as she went into Sophie's room. Jack nodded and headed back she went into Sophie's room. Jack nodded and headed back to look in the closet. It was a bit strange for him, all this changing of clothes. He had worn the same pair for almost three centuries straight, and before that had only owned two pairs of clothes: one for everyday work and one for Sundays and special occasions. But he figured that, like many other things, it was just something he was going to have to get used to.

Opening the closet doors, he was surprised to find that there were a number of shirts and pants hung up. At first he wondered how Mrs. Bennett had had time to go stopping for clothes, let alone knew his size, but then he remembered the conversation from the day before. She'd told her brother that she'd given him Jacob's clothes to wear. But who was Jacob, he wondered, and why did he feel such an odd connection to someone he didn't even know? Something white on the floor caught Jack's attention, and curiously, he pushed the clothes aside to see what it was. An old soccer ball sat there, covered a fine layer of dust as if it hadn't been played with for a while. Further back were a few tarnished old trophies, some with small figures playing soccer on top, others emblazoned with words like "Spelling Bee Champ" or "First Place Math Olympics". Jack reached out a shaking hand to touch them, but stopped short. This wasn't his business. Mrs. Bennett was willing to take him in, and that's all he needed to know. If he reminded her of someone named Jacob, so be it. But he wasn't about to dig up history that was better left buried. Shoving the clothes back into place, he selected a shirt and pants at random and shut the door.


	9. Chapter 9

Jack's finally heading for school. Is he also heading for some trouble? Only time will tell. But before he can start classes, he has to come to grips with one of his greatest fears of all time—shoes!

0o0  
"So, are you ready for your first day at school?" Mrs. Bennett asked over breakfast.

"About as ready as I'll ever be," Jack returned with a nervous grin.

"It's okay Jack," Jamie told him with the sort of confidence that Jack only wished he could feel. "You've done things lot scarier than going to a new school. I mean, you defeated Pitch! There's no way that you can't handle this."  
"Pitch?" Mrs. Bennett got a funny look on her face. "Who is he?"

"The Boogey Man," Jamie replied as if it were obvious, shoveling another spoonful of cereal into his mouth.

"Oh, I see." Mrs. Bennett gave Jack a raised eyebrow smile.

"Heh," was all Jack could respond. He really needed to have that conversation with Jamie about not randomly bringing up his past as a guardian, but something always seemed to come up that prevented him from doing that. It seemed like it wasn't going to happen this morning, either, because just then the school bus horn sounded outside.

"Oh gotta go!" Jamie said, grabbing his backpack and lunch box from the counter. "I'll see you after school!"

"Looks like it's time for us to get going too," Mrs. Bennett told Jack, scooping Sophie up and heading for the door. "We've got to drop Sophie off at the daycare then get you signed in at the front office before classes start."

"You know, I could just stay here and watch Sophie," Jack offered.

"No Jack," Mrs. Bennett laughed. "Sophie's going to be all right at the daycare center, and you sir—" she tapped him lightly on top of the head, "—are going to be just fine at school."

The trip to school was much shorter than Jack would have liked, but he knew he couldn't fight going to school."

The trip to school was much shorter than Jack would have liked, but he knew he couldn't fight going to school forever. If he was going to be a normal human boy, he was going to have to do normal human things like go to school. Mrs. Bennett pulled into the teacher's parking lot and parked right up next to the building. "One of the benefits of getting here early," she told him as she took the key out of the ignition. "Ready to go?" Jack just shrugged in reply. "All righty then." She pulled open her door and motioned for Jack to do the same. He did, stepping out onto the loose gravel and instantly regretted it.

"Ouch!" he shouted, jumping back into the safety of the car.

"What's wrong?" Mrs. Bennett asked , coming around to his side.

"That gravel is sharp! What did they make it with, broken glass?" he replied, nursing his wounds.

"Why would the gravel being sharp be a problem— Wait, where are your shoes?" Mrs. Bennett cried.

"Shoes?" Jack replied, giving her a blank stare.

"Oh for Heaven's sake— Come with me!" Mrs. Bennett grabbed his hand and dragged him, protesting, through the parking lot and into the school. Jack barely had time to see his surroundings they were moving so fast. "No child of mine is starting school shoeless," she muttered as she called him into a closet marked "Lost and Found". Pulling on a cord, she illuminated the small space with the single bare bulb it had on its ceiling. She rummaged through a few boxes, then pulled out a pair of sneakers.

"They're not perfect, but they'll have to do," she told him, handing them over. "Put them on."

Jack stared down at them with trepidation. "Well, what's the matter?"

"Look, I'm willing to start a new school and adjust to a lot of things," Jack said with a shaking voice, "but…shoes?"

"What's wrong with them? They're perfectly good, and what's more, they're clean, which is a lot more than could be hoped for on such short notice."

"There's nothing wrong with the shoes themselves," Jack responded, shaking his head before sheepishly admitting, "I've sort of got a phobia of shoes."

"You what?" Mrs. Bennett looked at him in shock.

"When I was little…one of the older boys in my village told me that if you wore shoes, the little gnomes inside them would eat your toes." Jack explained. "I haven't worn them since."

"Oh for corn's sake," Mrs. Bennett sighed. "Jack, there are no such things as gnomes, and even if there were they certainly wouldn't waste their time hiding in shoes to eat people's toes."

"I'm not so sure about that," Jack told her, holding the shoes as far away from him as possible. "If it's all the same to you, I'll pass."

"It is most certainly not all the same to me," Mrs. Bennett said, growing impatient. "It's a school rule that you have to wear shoes. Now you are going to put them on, or I am going to put them on for you."

Jack gave her one last pleading look, but her face remained firm, so slowly he started to insert a foot into one of the tennis shoes. A moment later, he pulled it out, screaming.

"What is it? What's wrong?" Mrs. Bennett cried.

"There is definitely something inside there," Jack told her, dropping both shoes and shrinking away in horror.

"What the?" she said, picking the shoe up and turning it over. She gave it a few shakes and a moment later a tiny hermit crab dropped out into her hand. "How did that get in there?" she asked, her brow wrinkling in confusion.

"That's it, I am never putting another shoe on in my life," Jack swore, putting his arms up protectively.

"Jack, it was just a crab—"

"No ma'am! Those things are the embodiment of pure evil!"

Mrs. Bennett could see she was going to get nowhere with getting Jack to put the shoe back on, so she sighed in exasperation. "Then what do you suggest?"

Jack's eyes flitted around the room, then settled on some old cleaning rags that had been discarded in the corner. "I'm thinking we should go the old fashioned way."

"I can't believe I'm doing this," Mrs. Bennett groaned a few minutes later as they headed down the hallway towards the front office, passing a few early arriving faculty members and students. "How did you convince me to let you loose in the hallways with nothing but strips of cloth tied around your feet?"

"What? It's comfortable," Jack replied, feeling rather pleased with himself. The cloth on the floor was somewhat slippery, allowing him to almost glide about.

"Let's just hope that the principal doesn't notice," Mrs. Bennett replied, pushing open the glass door that led into the school office. "Good morning, Mrs. Piffle," she said cheerily, pasting a huge fake smile onto her face. "How are you?"

"G'morning," the secretary mumbled, not looking away from the computer screen.

"I need to register a new student," Mrs. Bennett continued. "His name is Jack, and he hasn't actually been in school for a while, so I was wondering if you could help me with the forms–"

"Hush," Ms. Piffle shushed her, holding up a hand. "Tony's up on America's Next Idol and I want to see if he's going to make it to the next round." Mrs. Bennett and Jack exchanged perturbed looks as Ms. Piffle leaned in towards the screen. "C'mon Tony baby, you can do it!"

"Okay then," Mrs. Bennett said, leaning behind the desk and grabbing the forms she needed. "I'll just fill these out and we'll be out of your hair." She quickly scribbled down information, so fast that Jack even see what she was writing. "Here you go," she cheerfully told Ms. Piffle, sticking them into a manila envelope standing up in a metal holder. "I'll just take a copy of this 7th grade class schedule, and help Jack find his first class. Have a lovely day!"

"What was all that about?" Jack asked as soon as they were out of the office.

"Ms. Piffle likes her reality shows a little too much," Mrs. Bennett explained.

"And the forms—everything was all right?" he didn't know much about official forms, but he did know from bits of TV shows he'd seen over the years that putting down false information could get people in a lot of trouble. Mrs. Bennett didn't even know half of the information she would probably need to fill them out.

"Trust me, everything is going to be fine," Mrs. Bennett replied. She led Jack quietly down the hallways, leaving no time for conversation. She eventually deposited him in front of an imposing looking door. "Here we are!" she told Jack brightly. "First period math. Here's your class schedule, and I wrote my classroom number on the bottom just in case you need me. you'll be eating lunch in the cafeteria, so no need to worry about that stuff. Oh, and here's a backpack I grabbed from the lost and found for you to put your books in." Jack hesitantly took the items from her, particularly the backpack since "lost and found" now ranked high on his list of world's greatest evils, right after Pitch and shoes.

"Oh honey, I know you're going to do just fine," Mrs. Bennett said, her eyes suddenly sparkling with tears. She gave him a quick, impulsive hug then hurried off down the hall before Jack could respond. He turned around to face the door, starting at it dubiously. Half of him wanted to just run away and forget this whole nonsense about being a "normal" human, but the other half of him that he had a responsibility to Jamie and Mrs. Bennett to at least try to blend in. So, taking a deep breath, he placed his hand on the door, pushed hard, and entered his first day of school.


	10. Chapter 10

Jack's in first period. After being out of school for almost three centuries, how is he going to survive math class? Well, let's find out together!

0o0

"New kid." 

"Living with the Bennett family."

"Looks like he brushed his hair with a porcupine."

"How dated are those clothes he's wearing?"

"Do you think he could be an alien?"

With the exception of the last question, Jack heard various versions of these phase being whispered and even started throughout the classroom. Jack was used to not being seen by anyone, so he found all this attention being focused on his person a little bit disconcerting. Mercifully after only a few minutes of this, the teacher entered the classroom. "Good morning students," he said, standing next to the blackboard. "As many of you have noticed, we have a new student with us today. I'd like you all to make him feel as welcome as possible and be willing to help him as he adjusts to the class, especially as he's coming on at the end of the year." Jack felt his face turn slightly red as about thirty pairs of eyes focused on him. Somehow being invisible didn't seem so bad anymore.

"Perhaps you'd like to tell the other students a little bit about yourself, Jack," the teacher continued, not so much making a request as giving a command.

"Yes sir," Jack mumbled, standing up. "Um…I guess first of all, my name's not Jacob—it's Jack."

"Oh really?" the teacher glanced down at a sheet of paper, adjusting his glasses as a round of titters went through the class. "The front office must have misspelled it."

Jack nodded, but he had a sneaking suspicion that it might have not been the front office's fault. "Well, continue," the teacher told him.

"There's not a whole lot to tell," Jack replied, thinking to himself, "Not that anyone would believe anyway."

"I grew up around here, but back then my mom taught me and my siblings instead of sending me to regular school."

"Ah, so you were home schooled," the teacher supplied.

"I guess so," Jack responded, not knowing for sure what that meant. "I lost my family a long time ago, so I grew up taking care of myself. I pretty much lived in the woods until Mrs. Bennett took me in not too long ago. I-I guess that's about it." He sat back down, hoping he hadn't given out too much information.

"My, that's quite the story," the teacher said after a moment, blinking in surprise. "My condolences about your family."

Jack just shrugged his shoulders. He didn't really want pity. In fact, about the only thing he would have liked to have had was for everyone to stop staring at him. However, his story seemed to have only gotten him more attention. In particular he noticed a lot of the girls were looking at him with expressions that ranged from outright pity to borderline flirtatious. He ducked his head, wishing more than ever that he could just disappear.

"Well," the teacher said, turning to the board, it's time to start the lesson. Jack, just follow along as best you can, but don't worry if it's a little over your head. I can work with you after class on it, okay?" Jack nodded, knowing that he would probably be completely lost. After all, he'd barely gotten past multiplication and division back when he had been getting a formal education from his mom, and three centuries had probably done a lot to muddle his memory of even that.

"Okay class," the teacher began, drawing a triangle on the board. "Last time we met, we were learning about finding the angles of a triangle. Now, assuming that this is a right triangle and angle 'a' is 30°, how many degrees does angle 'b' have?"

Jack didn't even know how it happened. Suddenly his brain just did the calculation and before he could stop himself he called out, "60°!"

The teacher, and the rest of the class, turned to look at him in amazement. He felt surprised himself. "Why, yes Jack," the teacher replied, sounding slightly astonished. "Very good. Although next time, please remember to raise your hand first."

Jack nodded, still wondering how on Earth he had managed to figure it out. The teacher drew another figure on the board. "All right, let's assume this triangle is isosceles, meaning it has two equal sides, and angle 'a' is 15°. Tell me what angles 'b' and 'c' would each equal, and how you got your answer."

Jack's hand immediately shot up. "Yes Jack?" the teacher said, blinking in surprise.

"Angles 'b' and 'c' would each equal 82.5°, a total of 165° out of the 180° in a triangle," Jack told him. Where were these answers coming from?

"That is correct," the teacher informed him, erasing the triangle from the board. "All right, now someone other than Jack answer this next one…"

Jack sat and watched as the teacher drew countless geometric shapes on the board, and every one he was able to solve easily. It took him a while to realize how he was doing it, but then he realized that in his mind he was picturing a snowflake around every figure. For centuries he had been making snowflakes using triangles and other shapes to make each one unique and, subliminally, calculating the angles that made them up. So when, at the very end of class, the teacher announced an extra credit problem that involved finding all the angles in a hexagon, he jumped at the chance.

"All right Jack," the teacher said, nodding at him. "Let's see what you can do."

Jack walked up to the front of the class, trying to ignore all of the eyes on him. He picked up a piece of chalk, glad that it was white. It would make the snowflake easier to visualize. "Do you mind?" he asked.

"Not at all," the teacher told him, motioning for him to continue. Jack turned to the board, but before solving the problem, he couldn't help but add a few details, turning the simple hexagon into an ornate snowflake. For two seconds he felt an ache in his heart, missing the day when he could make snowflakes appear with a simple thought. But no, he had a new life now and he couldn't spend his time dwelling on the past.

"That's very nice Jack," the teacher told him breaking him out of his reverie, "but we've only got a few seconds left of class. Do you think you can get on to actually solving the problem?"

"Of course," Jack replied, turning his attention back to the problem. Allowing his brain to go on auto-pilot, he zipped through the calculations, finishing up just as the bell rang. The teacher stepped forward, checking Jack's answers against the correction sheet.

"That is correct!" he told Jack, adjusting his glasses as if he couldn't quite believe what he was seeing. "This is simply astonishing!"

"Well, thank you," Jack replied with a half-bow, trying not to grin as he headed back to his desk. He grabbed his backpack and ducked out into the hallway all before anyone could snap out of their shock. As soon as he was out of earshot, he burst out into laughter. Maybe school was going to be more fun than he thought.


	11. Chapter 11

Wow, Jack actually turned out to be a math whiz! Who saw that coming? His genius is certain to add to the attention he's already going to get as a new kid. The question is, what sort attention is it going to be and how will the boy who's been practically invisible for three centuries going to handle it?

0o0

The rest of the morning passed quickly. All of the classes proved to be as easy as math. Interpreting The Canterbury Tales was easy when you'd grown up speaking Old English, discussing geography a breeze when you'd traveled all over creation, and studying meteorology a snap when you were the one who actually made the winter weather. By lunchtime most of the school was buzzing about the genius new kid.

Jack stood at his locker, having finally gotten a chance to find it, and was fiddling with the lock when suddenly he felt a "whoosh" of air behind him and the scent of expensive perfume filled the air.

"Hey there," a coy voice whispered in his ear. Jack jerked around, coming face to face with a blond girl who looked like she'd just walked off the cover of a fashion magazine.

"Um…hi?" Jack said.

"I heard you're the new kid," the girl purred. "I'm Alexa."

"Jack," Jack replied, his every instinct telling him to run, but suddenly he found himself trapped against the locker as Alexa put one hand on either side of him.

"So… I'm having a party this Friday," she told him, leaning in closer, the scent of her perfume becoming a little overbearing. Behind her, Jack could see a crowd of giggly girls, blocking his path of escape. "I was thinking maybe you'd like to come as my date."

"Gee, a party," Jack said, ducking beneath one of her arms and trying to back away. "Sounds like fun. But y'know, I'm probably going to have a lot of work to catch up on and everything."

"Oh, c'mon Jack, live a little," Alexa tittered, grabbing his arm. "A genius like you shouldn't have any problem finishing off the homework."

"That's not entirely the point," Jack responded, trying to yank his arm away. He froze suddenly as he saw a familiar flash of green and blue behind her.

"What is it then?" Alexa leaned in so close that Jack could feel her breath on his face.

"I'm—just not interested," Jack replied. "Oh, and you might want to duck."

"What?" Alexa asked, confused. A moment later a whirling cloud of tiny tooth fairies grabbed onto her hair and started pulling—hard. "Aiyee!" Alexa shrieked, grabbing her head and trying to bat away the invisible assailants. Jack took advantage of the situation to escape, taking off down the hallway and feeling extremely glad that his rag "shoes" let him glide on the tile. He looked back to see if he was being followed, and couldn't help but feel relieved that that Alexa was still tied up with the tiny tooths. Later he was definitely going to complain to Tooth about sending her tiny helpers to spy on him, but secretly he was almost glad that she had.

Jack was so distracted with his thoughts that he didn't even notice the burly football player standing directly in his path until it was too late. He collided into the sock with such force that he actually went flying backwards and crashed to the ground.

"Sorry 'bout that," Jack apologized, shaking his head and trying to get his vision to refocus. "I didn't see you there and—"

"You," the boy said, bending down and poking a meaty finger into Jack's chest. "You're the punk who was just hitting on my girlfriend, aren't you?"

"Excuse me?" Jack asked, blinking up at him.

"I just got a text from Alexa," the other boy growled, holding his phone out for Jack to see. "She said that you were just with her and asked her out, and when she said no you started acting like a maniac."

"That's not true!" Jack gasped, stumbling to his feet. "She was the one hitting on me!"

"She said you might say that," the football player replied, cracking his knuckles. "Do you know what I do to runts like you who try to steal my girlfriend?" Before Jack could even reply, he thrust out a giant fist, aiming right for Jack's face. Fortunately, however, Jack had seen the blow coming and back flipped out of the way just in time.

"I might not be able to fly anymore," he realized, "but I've still got my agility." He dodged the next few punches, which only served to make the football player even angrier.

"Stand still so I can hit you, you little freak!" he bellowed angrily.

"Sorry, but I'd like to make it through my first day of school in one piece," Jack told him. Then he had an idea. Timing his move for the next punch, he raced underneath his assailant's arm and across the hallway, using his momentum to run up the wall and onto the top of the row of lockers.

"Get back here!" the jock yelled, chasing after him and trying to knock him down. Jack couldn't move as quickly on top of the lockers as he could on the ground, but he sped along as quickly as he could, not relishing the idea of a black eye or a couple of broken bones. Before too long, however, he realized that he had a problem: the row of lockers was coming to an end soon and he was either going to have to jump to the next one or find some way to get down. He gauged the distance to the next set of lockers and decided he could make it. He just needed a little more speed. Running with all his might, he launched off the end and sailed out into open air. One, two—five seconds he flew. For one horrible moment he thought he'd misjudged the distance and was going to fall flat on his face. But no, he managed to make it with only inches to spare. His feet connected with the metal and for one glorious moment he thought he was home free. Just then, however, his injury from the night before decided to act up and he crumpled to the top of the lockers as pain shot up his back. He was unable to move any further, and he could hear the football player approaching; could picture himself being dragged down and submitted to some form of torture. But before that could happen, a sudden "thwang!" echoed through the corridor.

"What was that?" he wondered.

"That was a warning shot, Bruce!" a thickly accented voice shouted. "Take one step closer and it's your precious iPhone will get it."

Jack heard an uncertain grunt from the football player, then a moment later the pattering of feet running away.

"It's all right," the accented voice said, closer this time. "Ye can come down now. That goon is too attached to his precious phone to let anything happen to it. Besides, he probably knew he was going to get beaten if he actually tried to fight me and he never would have lived that down!" The speaker chortled at the thought of this.

Jack, while still in some pain, decided that he really didn't want to spend the rest of lunch on top of the lockers, so gingerly he lowered himself down to the ground.

"There now, that wasn't so bad, was it? I must admit, you were really giving Bruce a run for his money. If you hadn't collapsed up there I think ye really had a chance of showing him up!"

Jack turned to thank his rescuer. He found himself facing a girl who was just a few inches shorter than himself. She was dressed in a dark green belted tunic and jeans, had hair the color of autumn leaves and was holding a bow and arrow in her hands. A cocky grin graced her tiny face.

"Pleased to make your acquaintance," she said, reaching out and shaking Jack's hand with one of her leather gloved ones. "I'm guessing you must be the much talked about Jack."

"Yeah," Jack admitted. "Thanks for the save back there."

"Tweren't nothin'," she responded. "I'm on the archery team and enjoy a bit of good target practice."

"Oh, odds and bobbles," the girl laughed, "where are my manners?" She gave him a quick bow. "I'm Merida. Merida Dunbrock."


	12. Chapter 12

Oh yes, we went there! I'm sorry, I couldn't resist. The idea of the Big Four in junior high was just too tempting to pass up. The real question is, how are these characters going to translate into a modern setting? Well, you'll just have to keep reading to find out!

0o0  
"Well Jack, looks like there isn't much of lunch left," Merida said, checking her watch. "What class do you have next?"

"Um, let's see." Jack dug into his backpack and pulled out his schedule. "Looks like I have—free period?"

"No kiddin'!" Merida looked pleased. "So do I. Hey how would you like to come my hideaway? You could use a place to lie low for a while, and I'd like you to meet my crew."

"Well…" Jack considered this. Part of him wanted to go find Mrs. Bennett and check in. But then again, he didn't relish the idea of accidentally meeting up with Alexa or Bruce again while wandering the halls. And besides, which he did sort of owe Merida for saving him. "All right," he nodded. "Let's go."

"Great!" Merida grinned and motioned for him to follow her. She led him down a series of hallways, pausing every few minutes to cock her head, as if listening for something, or to sniff the air.

"What are you doing?" Jack eventually asked. "Do you think we're being followed?"

"Nih," Merida responded. "But we can't ever be too careful."

"Why do you regularly have to worry about people following you?" Jack joked.

"Well, let's just say I'm not exactly the most popular person at school," Merida told him with a strained smile.

"After today, I don't think I'm going to be either," Jack responded wryly.

"I have to warn you," Merida said, turning to face him, "if you start hanging out with me an' my friends, your reputation probably isn't going to get any better. If anything, it's going to go through the floor."

"I can live with that," Jack reassured her. "Trust me, I'm pretty used to being invisible."

"It's not being invisible that's so bad," Merida responded. "It's the negative attention that gets to you."

"Well, I've had to deal with my share of bullies and I can handle myself," Jack replied. "And if there's one thing I've learned, it's that there's strength in numbers."

Merida gave him a funny smile. "Y'know, I think you're going to fit in jist fine." Turning to the nearest door, she pushed it open and waved a hand for Jack to come inside. "Welcome to the library."

Jack had seen hundreds of libraries in his time, but somehow he always seemed to have a moment of wonder as he first entered one. Maybe it was because he knew that, within those walls were volumes that told the tales of the guardians and other mythological figure—stories which helped encourage belief in them.

"What d' ye think?" Merida asked, hands on hips.

"I love it," Jack whispered, still a tiny bit in awe.

"Well good," Merida said, slapping her knee, "because this is where you're going to be spending a lot of time. C'mon, I'll introduce you to the others."

"Sounds good." Jack followed her towards the back of the library, but pulled up short as he passed the shelves containing books on myths and legends. "Do you mind if I take a quick look?" he asked.

"Be my guest," Merida told him, waving to the shelves. Then she leaned down and plucked out, a thick tome entitled Scottish Myths and Legends. "This is one of my favorites," she explained. "I've loved these tales ever since I saw my first will o' the wisp in my backyard when I was seven."

"You've seen a will o' the wisp?" Jack asked, looking up at her in surprise.

"Jah. My dad says it was probably just dandelion fuzz, but me mum says it appeared to me because our family's descended from Scottish royalty."

"And you believe that?"

"'Course. Why shouldn't I?"

"No reason," Jack quickly mumbled.

"What? D'ye think I'm crazy?" Merida gave him a fierce look.

"No, it's not that! It's just…I didn't think anyone else believed in them at our age."

"Anyone else?" Merida's eyes lit up. "you mean you do too?"

"Let's just say I've had enough brushes with the mythological to make me a firm believer."

Merida's expression changed to that of awe. Jack wondered if she were actually going to start crying, but then she reached out, grabbed onto his arm, and started dragging him towards a little alcove in the library. "Come with me," she said excitedly.

"Do I have a choice?" Jack laughed, allowing her to lead him. Inside the alcove was a small table, and at the table sat two teenagers: one a blond girl who was painting on a small easel, the other a brown-headed boy who was fiddling with what looked like a mechanical dragon.

"Jack, I'd like you to meet Rapunzel and Hiccup. Rapunzel and Hiccup, meet Jack, the newest member of our little crew."

Rapunzel glanced up shyly. "Hi," she said, her voice barely above a whisper, before hiding behind her very long hair. "Rapunzel is a walking encyclopedia on all things princesses and fairy tales," Merida told Jack, continuing the introductions. "And Hiccup here is our resident expert on mechanics and Norse mythology, although his specialty is dragons."

"Hey," Hiccup greeted him, giving him a one-handed wave with his screwdriver.

"And I'm, of course, the Scottish myths expect," concluded Merida. "So." She turned to him, eyes expectant. "You said you've had some encounters with the mythological. Tell us about them." Rapunzel and Hiccup looked at him with renewed interest.

"Have you really?" Rapunzel asked, her meek voice taking on a note of excitement.

"Um, yeah," Jack admitted. "But I'm not sure I'm really supposed to—I mean, if word got around, everyone would think I was crazy!"

"Trust me, everything here is strictly confidential," Hiccup reassured him. "Besides, everyone already think we're crazy, so they wouldn't believe us if we told them."

Jack still hesitated for a moment, unsure as to whether he really wanted to bring up the past yet again. But the others were looking at him so expectantly that he didn't feel like he could refuse, especially after they'd just opened up to him.

"All right," he sighed. "You could say I've had some experience with Santa Claus, the Easter Bunny, Tooth Fairy, and the Sand Man." He winced, waiting for the "boos" and accusations of falsehood. But the others stared at him, unblinking. "Well," Merida said after a minute. "Go on."

"What, you're not going to ask me if I'm lying?" Jack asked, shocked that they were just going to take his word on it.

"If a teenage guy is actually willing to say that he's met the real Easter Bunny, I'd say he's either telling the truth or really desperate to get into a group," Hiccup responded.

"True enough."

"So, how did you meet them?" Rapunzel asked.

"What are they like?" Merida added.

"Well… can I borrow a piece of paper?" Jack turned to Rapunzel, who willingly tore a sheet out of her sketchpad. "Okay, first thing you should know is that these guys aren't just running around willy-nilly doing their own thing. There's actually a group of five of them, called the guardians, and they work together to protect different elements of childhood: wonder, hope, dreams, and memories."

"Well that makes sense," Merida nodded her approval. "Seems to me that there should be a purpose to what they're doing. Otherwise they'd just be randomly delivering candy and presents."

"Right," Jack agreed. He drew a quick sketch onto Rapunzel's page. "So Santa Claus actually goes by North. He's a big ol' Russian guy, and he has these awesome swords that he uses to fight off evil—that is, when he's not making toys."

"Does he really have cute little elves that help him make the toys?" Rapunzel squealed.

"'Help' isn't exactly the term I'd use," Jack laughed. "It's actually the yetis who do most of the work."

"Yetis." Merida looked fascinated. "Cor, that's brilliant! Seems like they'd get much more work done that silly little elves."

"How about the sleigh?" Hiccup asked. "I've seen books where it says the whole thing's some sort of rocket, which explains how he gets around so fast. Is that true?"

"Oh no, it's an actual sleigh," Jack replied. "And the reindeer pulling it are as big as Clydesdale horses. But how he gets around the world so fast is that he's actually got these magic snow globes that can open up portal to anywhere."

"Wow," Hiccup breathed, "what I'd give to have a look at the mechanics holding that sleigh together."

"How about the Easter Bunny?" Merida wanted to know.

"Is he all cute and fuzzy?" Rapunzel asked hopefully.

"Uh, no. This guy is the exact opposite of cute and fuzzy," Jack responded, making another sketch. "Bunnymund's about 7 feet tall and made of pure muscle. He uses rabbit holes to travel around, and he's got this underground cavern on Easter Island where he decorates all the eggs for Easter. Oh, and you do not want to get on his bad side, he's got these huge boomerangs that he an use to take out about anything."

Rapunzel looked a little upset. "Aren't there any of the guardians who are at least kind of cute and bed-time storyish?"

"Ah, bed time storyish, yes!" Jack said, pointing to her. "Sand Man, or Sandy, is a really nice guy. He's probably only about two feet tall, but he's the one who makes all the good dreams. He actually has this magic sand stuff that he can use to make just about anything: unicorns, dolphins—I've even seen ten story tall dinosaurs. And he travels around on a little golden cloud of the stuff."

"Aw, he looks like a little happy sun!" Rapunzel cried, clapping her hands in delight as Jack drew the tiny figure.

"And how about the Tooth Fairy?" Hiccup asked. "I've seen a million and one interpretations of her—or is it a him?"

"Oh, Tooth Fairy is definitely a her," Jack replied, working on the last little sketch. "She's actually kind of hard to describe. She's full of energy, and always moving. I guess the closest thing I could compare her to is a humming bird. Only she's not actually a bird, she's a person, just covered in feathers."

"Um…" Rapunzel said, "does she look kind of like—that?" She pointed to something above Jack's head.

"What?" Jack looked up, only to find himself confronted with— "Baby Tooth! What are you doing here?" He reached up and caught the tiny fairy in his hands before she could fly away. Baby Tooth smiled up at him sheepishly, squealing out what sounded like a cross between a greeting and an apology.

"Great jumpin' Jehoshaphat, is that a real fairy?" Merida cried, leaping back in surprise.

"Yes," Jack admitted. "Everyone, this is Baby Tooth. Baby Tooth, these are my friends Merida, Rapunzel and Hiccup."

"She's so adorable!" Rapunzel cooed. "Can I hold her?"

"Sure," Jack replied, holding the tiny fairy out to Rapunzel. Baby Tooth cheerfully flitted into her hands, buzzing a happy tune and pointing admiringly at Rapunzel's long golden tresses.

"Well thank you!" Rapunzel giggled. "Your feathers are very pretty too!" She smoothed down the little crown of feather's on Baby Tooth's head, making the fairy let out something that sounded like tiny peals of laughter. "Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't realize you were ticklish," Rapunzel apologized. "Ooh, but I think I have something in my backpack for you!" She dug into her book bag and with a tiny maroon gown, just Baby Tooth's size. Baby Tooth squeaked with delight and a moment later. Rapunzel was helping her put it on.

"So," Hiccup said, turning back to look at Jack. "Is that the real tooth fairy."

"No, that's just one of her helpers," Jack replied.

"Ye seem to know an awful lot about these 'Guardians' for someone who's only had brief encounters with them," Merida said slowly. "Are you sure there isn't anything else you'd like to tell us Jack?"

Jack glanced at her and Hiccup nervously. He hadn't expected to tell as much as he had, and now he seemed to have talked himself into a corner. "Uh, you could say we used to be kinda close."

"How close?" Merida asked, her eyes flicking over to the fairy that was now modeling Rapunzel's creation. "You must be pretty familiar with them if the Tooth Fairy is sending her baby out after you—oh goodness!" She clapped a hand over her mouth. "Tell me you aren't married to her?"

"What? No!" Jack cried. "It's nothing like that!"

"In a magically binding agreement?"

"No!"

"Dating?"

"NO!"

"Seeing her on a regular basis?"

"Not anymore."

"Oh sweet, merciful heavens!" Merida's eyes went wide and she looked around the room in terror. "You broke up with her! You've crossed a fairy, and now she's sending her minions to bring destruction upon us and all the land!"

"No Tooth and I do not have any sort of romantic relationship!" Jack shouted. All four of the sets of eyes in the room stared at him.

"Then how—" Merida began slowly.

"Because I'm a guardian, all right?" Jack huffed. "Or at least I was one, until a couple of days ago."

"You're what?" Rapunzel asked. You could have heard a pin drop in the room.

"My real name is Jack Frost," Jack told them, trying to keep the frustration out of his voice. "Two days ago I was at a birthday party for Jamie Bennett. I'd promised him I'd come since he was the first person ever to actually believe in me, but I stayed out in the sun too long and it caused me to completely unfreeze, turning me back into a normal human. I've been trying ever since then to adjust to having a normal life, but no matter where I go I keep getting reminded of everything I left behind. Are you happy now?" Throwing his hands up, he stormed off into the children's picture book section, coming to a stop at the tiny stage where kids could sit and read or act out their favorite stories. He slumped down onto the bottom step, burying his head in his hands. He couldn't believe he'd just done that. He'd been trying so hard to keep all of these feelings pent up inside ever since he'd woken up just an ordinary teenager two mornings ago, but now he'd just blurted them all out for the entire world to hear. He'd also possibly lost the only friends he was ever going to have at this school.

"Jack?" Jack heard a gentle voice calling his name a few minutes later. "Jack, we are so sorry that we pushed you like that." He looked up to see Rapunzel, Merida, and Hiccup circled around him with concerned looks on their focus.

"It's okay," Jack sighed. "It's just…I'm processing through a lot right now."

"No kiddin'," Merida said with a wry smile.

"Do you know if there's any way you could refreeze yourself?" Hiccup suggested. "Like, if you stayed in a freezer for a really long time, maybe it could set off a reaction that would allow to be Jack Frost again."

"I'm honestly not sure how I could get my powers back," Jack admitted, "and even if I could go back, I'm not sure that I would do it."

"Why not?" Merida looked at him like he was crazy. "I'd give up everything I owned if I could be a guardian."

"That's the point," Jack told her. "You do end up giving up everything, willingly or unwillingly. Before I was Jack Frost, I was just a regular human kid with a family and a fairly normal life. But when I was transformed, I lost all memories of anything before being frozen. It was only a month or two ago that I finally got those memories back, and by then it was too late to even say goodbye. So now that I've finally found a family again, I'm not sure I want to lose them. I don't think I could go through that twice."

"Cor, that is a predicament," Merida said, putting her head in her hands.

"Well," Rapunzel spoke up after a minute of silence, "I think the choice is really up to you, Jack. What do you want?"

"That's the problem," Jack groaned. "I don't know what I want! And even if I did, how would I know if it's the right choice?"

"I honestly couldn't tell you," Rapunzel responded. "But I do know this: whether you choose to be Jack, Jack Frost, or even Jacob, like the teachers keep calling you, you'll always have people who will love and support you."

Jack jumped up. 'Wait—say that again!"

"What?" Rapunzel asked, wrinkling her brow in confusion. "That you'll always have people who love you?"

"No, before that," Jack replied, his eyes going wide as the pieces fell into place. "You said 'Jacob'."

"It was just a joke," Rapunzel said, shrinking back a little.

"No, I think you were right on target!" he raced over to grab his backpack. "I have to go. I'll see you guys later, okay?"

"All right," Rapunzel said.

"Later" Hiccup called after him. Jack barely heard them as he rushed out of the library and down the hallway. He didn't care who saw him running in the halls: he was on a mission and he needed to get to Mrs. Bennett's room before free period ended.


	13. Chapter 13

Jack's made some new friends, and actually revealed his secret to them, but now he seems to be on hot on the trail of solving the "Jacob". Will we finally find out the secret behind this mysteriously missing boy? Read on to find out!

0o0

Mrs. Bennett looked up in surprise as the door to her classroom "banged" open. She was even more surprised to see Jack standing there, panting as if he'd just run a marathon.

"Jack, are you alright?" she asked, standing up and hurrying over to him.

"I'm fine," he told her, swallowing in huge gulps of air. "But we need to talk."

"Certainly," Mrs. Bennett said, motioning for him to sit down at a desk. "Is something wrong?"

"Not exactly," he replied, taking a seat. "But I need to ask you something, and I need you to be honest with me."

"Of course," she responded. "I try to always be honest with my children and my students."

"All right then." Jack took a deep breath before blurting out, "Who is Jacob?"

"What?" Mrs. Bennett's face froze. Her whole body, in fact, seemed to go rigid as the question sank in.

"The first morning I came to live with you guys," Jack said, nervously twirling a discarded pencil in his hands, "you called me Jack. Later that day I heard you talking to your brother about someone named Jacob that I looked exactly like. And this morning in the office, I'm pretty sure you put 'Jacob' on the forms, not Jack. Please—I need to know who he is."

Mrs. Bennett's whole face seemed to crumble as she burst into tears. "Oh Jack," she sobbed, "I am so sorry. Jacob—was my son."

"Your son?" Jack felt an odd mixture of nausea and relief filling his stomach. His mind went back to that first morning where he'd found that picture of the family in the bathroom drawer. The teenage boy he'd seen in the background—it must have been Jacob.

"What—happened to him?" Jack choked out.

"It was three years ago today," Mrs. Bennett explained between tears. "My husband and Jacob went out for a drive. It should have been fine, but a freak snow storm blew up. They were out on a country road when a semi truck driver fell asleep at the wheel and went right into their lane. They didn't see him until it was too late. The truck driver was fine, but Jacob and his dad… they didn't make it."

"I am so sorry," Jack told her, feeling his heart squeeze as he recalled his pain at losing his own family. "But what exactly does this have to do with me?

Mrs. Bennett shook her head. "When you showed up out of the blue on Saturday, just days before the anniversary, it seemed like a miracle. I knew you couldn't be my son, but I wanted so badly to believe that you were that somehow I convinced myself that it was true. You looked and sounded just like him—down to the tiny freckle by your left ear." She reached out and brushed a tiny lock of Jack's hair back so that she could see it. "I know it was wrong of me, but this morning when I was filling out those forms, it seemed as my hand had a mind of its own and I just started putting in all of Jacob's old information. I knew you probably didn't have any old school records, so I figured it would be so easy for you to just slip in where he'd left off. You were fitting in so well with Jamie and Sophie, and it would have been so easy. I just…I think I wanted you to fill in the place in my heart that's been empty for so long."

"So…you just wanted me as a replacement?" Jack asked, feeling his heart sink.

"Oh honey, no!" Mrs. Bennett cried, looking like her heart was going to break. "No! That may have been my first thought, but the truth is what I really wanted was a second chance. A second chance to do things right. To be the mother I never could be to Jacob."

A second chance. Jacob felt the words resonate in his heart. Hadn't that been what he'd been looking for too?

"You must think I'm a terrible mother," Mrs. Bennett sobbed. "And I can't say I blame you."

"No," Jack told her after a minute. "Actually, I think you're a pretty great mom."

"Why?" Mrs. Bennett looked up at him through tear stained eyes. "What could I possibly be doing right? I tried to replace my dead son with you. And I wake up every morning and go to bed every night praying for wisdom and help in raising Jamie and Sophie, but no matter what I do I still feel like I'm failing them somehow!"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa!" Jack put his hand on her shoulder. "Hold on a minute. You are most definitely not failing Jamie and Sophie. I mean, look at you: you've got two little kids to watch out for; you're working two jobs to support them; you're still grieving the loss of a husband and a son; and yet you're more devoted than most parents I've seen who have tons of money and time to spend on their kids. And trust me, I've seen a lot of families in my time. Sophie and Jamie absolutely adore you! Jamie brags on you all the time. He thinks you're the world's greatest mom! And the fact that you were actually willing to take in a kid off the streets and love him as your own? I'd say if there's a list of the best moms of all time, you'd top it."

Mrs. Bennett gave a half sob, half laugh. "Thank you. I don't think I deserve half of what you just said, but thank you."

"C'mere," Jack said, reaching out and drawing her into a hug. He let her rest her head on his shoulder as she cried softly. He felt like the roles had been momentarily reversed of parent and child, but he honestly didn't mind.

"Someone must have raised you right," Mrs. Bennett finally whispered.

"Yeah, she did," Jack agreed. And for the first time since he'd regained his memories he realized that he could think of his family without pain—as if the hole in his heart had started to mend too.

His eyes involuntarily glanced over towards the window, and suddenly he froze. No, that couldn't be right! He blinked, just to make sure that his eyes weren't playing tricks on him. No, he was definitely seeing it. There was snow coming down outside. He glanced down at his skin, wondering if somehow he'd refrozen. But no, he didn't feel the inner cold that he should have if he had. Then he looked back at the window and saw a bunny standing outside and knocking on the window. A large, grey, Australian bunny dressed in a trench coat.

"Uh, mom?" Jack said, a twinge of worry spiking in his stomach. "I've got to go."

"Go?" Mrs. Bennett lifted her head and looked up at Jack. "Go where?"

"Mom, you're just going to have trust me on this one," Jack told her, getting up and heading for the door, glancing back over at the window. Mrs. Bennett followed his line of sight and let out a startled gasp.

"Oh Jack, no!" she cried. "No! Tell me you're not going out in that storm!"

"Mom, there's something I've got to go take care of," Jack responded, taking hold of both her hands and looking her straight in the eyes. "But I can't do that if I don't know that you're safe."

"And I can't feel safe if I don't know that you're safe," Mrs. Bennett returned. She gave him a pleading look. "Please Jack—don't go out there. I can't stand to lose you agai—" She stopped herself short. "To lose you."

"I know." Jack squeezed her hands. "But I promise you, no matter what happens, I will come back to you." He gave a tiny laugh. "Trust me, I'm a lot more resilient than you'd think."

"I know you are." Mrs. Bennett gave a tiny sniff, then nodded and let go of his hands. Jack knew it took a lot of courage for her to do that, and it made him even more determined to do his best to fix whatever this mess turned out to be. He took three long strides for the door, then turned back one last time to face her.

"I love you mom," he whispered.

"I love you too Jack," Mrs. Bennett whispered back. And then Jack was gone. Mrs. Bennett took two faltering steps towards the door to follow him, then turned back to her desk. She was going to help him in the only way she could right now. Bowing her head, she began to pray. "Heavenly Father, I beg of You—please, please watch over my son…"


	14. Chapter 14

So now we finally know who Jacob is—Mrs. Bennett's deceased son. But we still have to wonder why he and Jack are almost duplicates of each other? Well, that mystery is going to have to wait as Jack tries to solve yet another mystery—the sudden appearance of the snow and Bunnymund. It all points to trouble, and Jack may be about to have to finally make that decision that Sandy prophesied-and it's not going to be an easy one.

((Note: I can't take credit for the dialogue between Jack and Jamie near the end of the chapter (you'll be able to tell where). The brilliant wording and actions were borrowed from the movie. No, I wasn't being lazy, it's just continuing the uncanny parallelism between Jack's past and the present. It's almost as if the two realities are trying to resolve each other before Jack can finally move on with his life… But, I'll let you get on to reading so you can see for yourself. Enjoy!))

"Took you long enough," Bunnymund snapped as soon as Jack arrived in front of the school.

"I didn't see the snow until a minute ago," Jack retorted, using irritation rising to cover his nervousness. "What's going on?" he asked, turning to North.

"It is not good," the usually jolly old elf told him, his usually twinkling eyes now sober. "The winter creatures in the south—they are trying their best to bring about the cold weather, but without your help, things are—how you say?—a big mess."

"Without me?" Jack gaped at him. "I never thought I was ever really that involved except for making a few blizzards here or there!"

"It turns out that, while nature used to be able to be able to balance itself out, between global warming and a growing reliance on your abilities, it can no longer do so," North explained. "Since the others are left on their own to try to fix things, they are not able to find the balance and keep making thing too warm—"

"Or too cold," Jack finished for him.

"This here snowstorm is a result of that," Bunnymund confirmed for him.

"They've generated too much winter energy, and had to send a lot of it north to keep from turning the southern hemisphere into a solid block of ice," Tooth added, flitting in from the forest.

"But what can I do?" Jack asked, wrinkling his brow in concern. "I'm sort of powerless, remember?"

Bunny looked like he was about to say something when the conversation was interrupted as a little brown-haired boy came racing into the school yard. "Jack! Jack!" he called.

"Jamie!" Jack cried, blinking in surprise as the little boy rushed over and wrapped his arms around him. "What are you doing here?"

"I saw the snow," Jamie replied. "I thought maybe you'd gotten your powers back."

"No, I haven't," Jack told him, "although I think Bunnymund was about to say something regarding that?" He gave the bunny a questioning look.

"Oh, right, yes," Bunnymund responded, coughing uncomfortably, as if he were about to share some not-so-good news. "Jack, remember when you told us how you got your powers?"

"Yeah, I fell into a frozen lake saving my sister," Jack recounted. "The Man in the Moon brought me back out, and I've been Jack Frost ever since—or, at least until recently."

"Right," Bunnymund agreed. "And do you remember which lake that was?"

"Yeah," Jack replied. "How could I forget? It's the one back in the woods a little ways that way. But guys, what does this have to do with anything?"

The others shared nervous glances. North became the silently agreed upon spokesperson. "Jack," he said, slowly and carefully, "we think that in order for you to be Jack Frost again, you may have to go back into the lake."

"Now, while it's frozen," Bunnymund added, his ears twitching with impatience. "This is the perfect time—it would only be partially frozen right now. Too much longer and it'll be a solid block of ice, or else the storm will go away and it'll just be an ordinary pond."

"Go back in?" Jack gasped. He felt a cold vice of fear squeeze around his heart. "But what if it doesn't work the same way twice? What if I go in and I don't come back out?"

"Jack, do you honestly think we would let you drown?" North asked. "If you are not back up within a minute we would pull you right back out!"  
"A minute might be too long," Jack replied, shivering at the thought. If anyone knew about hypothermia, it was Jack Frost. He knew that every second spent in frozen water was another step closer to death. And there was another problem. "Last time this happened, it took hours for the transformation to happen. If you pull me out too soon, who knows what might happen?"

"This is problem," North agreed, looking deep in thought.

"Maybe this isn't such a good idea," Tooth piped up. "After all, what's a few blizzards during summer?"

"It's not just a few blizzards," Bunnymund reminded her, getting fidgety by the minute. "We're talking thousands of lives at stake here!"

"I know," Jack responded, anxiously running his hands through his hair. "Just…just give me a sec, okay?"

"We don't have a second!" Bunnymund retorted. "My rabbit sense is telling me that something very bad is about to happen, so either you are going to get that sorry hide of yours down to that lake, or I'm going to drag it there myself!"

"Bunny!" North chided him. "This has to be Jack's decision. It has to be by choice, or it won't work."

"I don't care if I have to throw the bloomin' president in there, someone's going in that lake!" Bunnymund spat back.

"Guys!" Tooth suddenly cried. "Sandy's trying to tell us something!"

Jack hadn't even noticed that the little man was even with them until now, but as he looked over, he saw that the tiny guardian was flashing a series of distress images and pointing towards the woods. "What's wrong?" he asked, wondering what had him so riled up. Then he looked down and realized that Jamie wasn't standing next to him anymore. "Jamie?" he called, hoping that the little boy had only just wandered off a little ways. "Jamie?"

"What are you shouting about now?" Bunnymund asked, turning to Jack.

"Jamie's gone!" Jack replied, feeling panic rising in his chest.

"Don't worry, he probably just went off for a little walk," Bunnymund responded.

"No!" Jack gasped as he noticed the trail of tiny footprints leading off into the forest.

"What's wrong?" Tooth asked, gently touching his arm.

"Jamie's run off into the woods!" Jack replied, feeling panic begin to rise in his chest. "I think—I think he may have heard us arguing and decided that he…" He couldn't even finish the sentence. The idea was almost too horrible to even consider.

"You think he may have decided to jump into the lake himself?" Tooth finished for him, sounding slightly horrified. Sandy began nodding vigorously and pointing towards the woods again.

"Ax!" North cried in dismay. "we have to go after him!"

Jack didn't need to be told twice. He was halfway to the treeline before the others even had a chance to take a step. He wasn't sure exactly where the lake was, but he let his instincts take over and just focused all of his energy on running. There was no room in his mind for doubt, or to even feel the pain as stones and twigs bit into his feet—he just knew he had to get there before Jamie got himself hurt. He had to!

Within in minutes he found himself on the banks of the lake. He slid to a stop, scanning the icy surface for any sign of Jamie, praying that he wouldn't find a hole where the boy had gone through. But no, there he was! Jack breathed a sigh of relief, only to suck it back in as he realized that Jamie was out in the middle, the most treacherous part. The ice there had had the least chance to freeze and was thus the thinnest. For a moment, staring out across the pond, Jack had and internal struggle. His selfish side told him that there was a chance that whoever fell into the lake was coming back out a Guardian. Why not let it be Jamie? The little boy loved the Guardians more than anyone. He would love to be the new spirit of ice and snow. Obviously he was willing, considering he was out on the lake. Why not let him and let Jack continue on as a human? It sounded convincing enough. But another part of him knew that that was wrong—very wrong. What sort of brother would he be if he let Jamie take the plunge? What sort of son? What sort of Guardian? The thought startled him, but standing there he realized that he'd allowed himself to be blinded by his selfish desires. He'd gotten so wrapped up in wanting to be something he wasn't that he'd forgotten everything that he'd learned only three months before about what it truly meant to be a Guardian. It was about sacrifice and putting the people you loved first, not the magical abilities. Powers or no, Jack knew deep down in his heart that he was still a Guardian and, as such, he was going to protect his brother if it was the last thing he did—which it very well might be.

For the moment, he needed to get Jamie's attention and get him off of the ice without startling him, because any sudden movements could result in the ice cracking and Jamie— No, he couldn't think about that now. He had to keep positive, for Jamie's sake if nothing else. The little boy was currently facing away from him—that meant he would have to move around to the other side of the lake so that way he could talk to him without forcing the boy to turn around and further compromise the already unsteady surface. Praying for silent movement, he made his way around the pond, staying near the trees to prevent himself from slipping out onto the ice prematurely and only complicating matters. As he made the last curve, he noticed a fallen crooked branch leaning up against the tree. It looked almost exactly like his staff, and it was exactly what he needed. As he picked it up, it caused some dead leaves to rustle , and he glanced out onto the ice. Jamie had visibly stiffened at the sudden noise.

"Hello? Is someone there?" he cried, his voice sounding small and piteous in the chill air.

"Jamie? It's me, Jack," Jack called out softly. "Stay exactly where you are. I'm coming to get you."

"Oh Jack," Jamie sobbed. "I'm sorry. I was trying to be brave— I didn't want you to have to get hurt, but Bunnymund was saying someone had to go into the lake and—"

"Sh," Jack told him, "it's okay." He was so grateful now that he hadn't listened to his darker leanings ,and felt guilty for even entertaining them for a moment. But there wasn't time for that now. He had finished his half-circuit of the lake and was now directly across from Jamie. "Do you think you can move out towards me?"

"I can try," Jamie replied, his voice wobbling. He took one shaky step and instantly a loud "crack!" resounded through the clearing.

"Okay, okay, stay right there," Jack told him. "Don't move." Across the lake he saw the other guardians arriving, and he quickly shook his head, gesturing for them to stay exactly where they were. The last thing he needed was for Jamie to hear them, turn around and fall through. The next few moments would decide both their fates.

He knew that the longer he waited, the more in danger Jamie became. Still, he risked one more moment out on the backs, sending up a final fervent prayer for protection for both of them before stepping out onto the ice.

Slowly and carefully he made his way forward, until he was about halfway across and another deafening "crack!" echoed out across the icy surface.

"Jack!" Jamie cried out. Jack met his eyes and could see the terror inside them. "I'm scared."

Jack's mind instantly flew back to three centuries ago, when his own little sister had said those exact same words to him. That time he had been able to comfort her by making her think that it was a game. He only hoped that the same principle could apply here.

"I know you're scared," he told Jamie, reaching out a hand to calm him, carefully sliding one foot forward and feeling the ice begin to crack beneath his own feet. "But you're going to be okay. You're not going to fall in. we're—we're going to have a little fun instead."

"No we're not!" Jamie sobbed.

"Would I trick you?" Jack asked, making a few more delicate inches forward.

"Yes!" Jamie told him, looking fearfully down at the ice. "You always play tricks!"

"All right," Jack admitted, putting on a brave smile. "But not this time. I promise—I promise you're going to be—you're going to be fine. You have to believe in me."

Jamie looked at him, his eyes huge, but slowly he nodded.

"Okay." Jack started to take another step, but stopped as he saw the lines worming their way through the otherwise dark ice. "Do you want to play a game?" he asked Jamie. "we're going to play hopscotch—like we play at the park. It's as easy as one—" He took one step closer to Jamie, trying not to flinch as he heard the ice crack. To alleviate the tension, he pretended to lose his balance, making over the top gestures with his arms and making the little boy actually giggle a tiny bit. "Two," Jack continued, taking another step. "Three!" He was now within reaching distance of the boy. This would have to be perfect. The ice wasn't going to hold much longer. "All right, now it's your turn," he told Jamie, holding the little boy's gaze. He was actually smiling—good. The game had worked, and Jack needed Jamie to be as limber as possible for the next step. Carefully, he began to reach his makeshift cane out towards the boy. "One." He heard the little boy gasp as the ice began to crack again.

"That's it, that's it," Jack told him, trying to keep him calm as he continued to move the cane towards him. "Two." The ice gave another great "crack!"

"Three!" Jack hooked the cane around the boy and sent him spinning as hard as he could out onto the thicker ice. Jamie skidded and fell, but he landed only a few feet from the shore. He and Jack let out simultaneous laughs of relief. They'd done it! Jamie was safe. Jack let himself relax for a moment—a moment too long. The ice suddenly gave out below him and he was plunged into a world of cold and darkness. It was oddly familiar, and even as the dark surrounded him and he could feel the cold seeping into him, drawing him lower and lower into the icy depths of the pond, he couldn't help but be glad that at least Jamie was safe. That was all that mattered. He wanted to close his eyes as his limbs went numb, to let the darkness overtake him as he finished his last few moments on Earth and draw him into the next life. But somehow his eyes stayed fixed on the hole above him, where dim light still filtered down and he saw—wait, was that the moon shining down on him? No, it couldn't be. It was still daytime outside. But there it was, growing bigger and brighter every second until—

Gasping, Jack broke through the surface. He felt himself hanging in thin air, as if drying off from his plunge into the depths, but then slowly was lowered back down to the surface of the lake, which was now completely solid. He looked himself over, unable to believe that he was still alive. But he was. "Thank you," he whispered up to the sky, where the sun was now blazing again, as brilliant and bright as ever.

"Jack!" he heard someone shout. He turned around to see Jamie and the rest of the guardians racing out towards him. He wondered if he should tell them to stay off the ice—to warn them that it probably still wasn't thick enough to hold all their weight. But then below him he could feel the ice growing thicker, as if compensating for the extra weight. Wait—he could feel the ice growing? But that meant—

He leaned over to see his reflection in the icy surface. "Yes!" he shouted as he saw a white-haired boy staring back at him. He was frozen again! He was back to being Jack Frost. The cold air didn't even bother him. In fact, it felt wonderful!

"Jack, you're back!" Jamie cried, reaching him and throwing his arms around the older boy. "I was so worried about you!"

"We all were," Tooth told him, her hands clutched in joy. She flittered up, but held back a few feet, as if too embarrassed to come closer.

"Oh, c'mere," Jack told her, reaching out and drawing her into a hug. Right then he would have hugged anyone, even Bunnymund. Speaking of whom…

"You should have seen Bunny," North said, roaring with laughter. "He was ready to jump in after you, coat and all."

"Hey, this doesn't change thing between us mate," Bunnymund protested. "You're still a pain and a half. But I can't help it if I'm s-sensitive." Jack had to laugh. It felt good to be a guardian again. It felt good just to be alive!

"What are we going to tell mom?" Jamie asked after a minute. That made Jack sober. What were they going to tell Mrs. Bennett?

"Well first things first," he told Jamie, pulling off his outer shirt and draping it around Jamie's shoulders, "We're going to get you home and out of this cold. I've got to do a few things I need to take care of, but I want her to know that you're safe and I want you to tell her that I'm safe. But I don't want you to tell her about what just happened, okay? She's going to be worried enough without knowing that we almost died."

"But—" Jamie started to protest.

"Don't worry, I'm going to tell her—but all in good time." Jack put his hands on the little boy's shoulders. "You're going to have to trust me, all right?"

"Okay." Jamie nodded. Then he shivered. "Your hands are freezing!"

"I'll bet they are!" Jack laughed. "C'mon, get on back—I'll fly you home."

"Jack, should we come with you?" Tooth asked, her face still pink with pleasure from actually getting a hug from him.

"No," Jack replied, getting down and hefting Jamie up onto his shoulders. "I'll just be a minute. But if you guys could meet me in the square, I've actually got a few things you can help me with."

Tooth and the others nodded, apparently glad enough that Jack was okay that they didn't mind helping him with whatever he needed. Just before Jack took off with Jamie, however, he saw Sandy project the image he had before of Jack standing at a crossroads. Only this time, the figure of Jack went down the path on the right, and Sandy gave him a thumbs up. "Yeah," Jack whispered, giving him a smile. "I think I took the right road too."


	15. Chapter 15

Wow, Jack passed the test with flying colors—and he's a Guardian again! How is Mrs. Bennett going to take this? We'll have to wait and see, because first Jack's got a little unfinished business with three very special teens…

0o0

"Over here!" Jack called, waving to catch their attention.

"Jack!" Merida cried as they rushed over. "What's all this about? And why do ye look so different?"

"Isn't it obvious?" Jack told her with a grin. "I got my powers back!"

"You're frozen!" Hiccup said excitedly. "But how did you—"

"I took a dip in a frozen lake," Jack replied, motioning over his shoulder to the pond behind them.

"Goodness!" Merida looked at him in shock. "Are ye alright?"

"Couldn't be better," he reassured her. Then he turned to Rapunzel. "Did you bring her?"

"Uh huh," Rapunzel responded, taking off her partially unzipped backpack and opening it the rest of the way. "Baby Tooth and I had lots of fun playing makeovers, didn't we Baby Tooth?" The tiny fairy flitted out of the open backpack, twirling and showing off a shimmering turquoise and aqua dress.

"You look lovely," Jack reassured her, grinning at how perfectly Rapunzel got along with the fairy. It only helped to confirm the suspicions he'd been harboring ever since early that afternoon.

"Jack, it's all good and well that you needed the fairy back," Merida spoke up, "but why did you go and call all of us out here—especially since it's so bloomin' cold out?"

"Oh, sorry," Jack apologized, coming back to the present and trying to lessen the amount of cold that was exuding from his body. "Actually, I do have a good reason for calling you out here. Guys, I'd like you to meet—the Guardians." He gestured to the trees and moved to the side as the rest of the guardians appeared from the forest.

"Jumping jackanapes!" Merida cried.

"Oh my gosh," Hiccup gasped.

"This-is-the-best-day-ever!" Rapunzel squealed.

"Hi everyone!" Tooth greeted them, giving a shy wave. "It's nice to meet you all. Jack has told us so much about you." Merida gave Jack the hairy eye, which he tried to avoid as the rest of the guardians moved forward.

"You are Hiccup, yes?" North inquired, moving towards the boy, who looked like he was going to faint.

"Uh…yes sir. Yes, I'm Hiccup," Hiccup stammered.

"Good!" North gave him a broad smile. "Jack told me you are dragon expert."

"Well, I'm not sure if I'd call myself an expert," Hiccup said modestly. "I just read everything I can on them."

"That's excellent," North told him. "It's been a long time since we had a dragon expert, and I think you are perfect for the job."

"Job? What job?" Hiccup glanced nervously over at Jack, who rolled his eyes, and motioned for him to turn his attention back to North.

"Would you like to look in my sack?" North invited, swinging it down over his shoulder and opening it up.

"Would I?" Hiccup lost all his shyness as he hurried forward. "I've always wanted to see this thing!" North chuckled as the teenager stumbled to a stop and started looking the sack over. "Standard fabric—looks like crimson velvet. Gold cord closure mechanism. Doesn't appear to be expandable. Is there a pocket dimension hidden inside of it, or is the material imbued with magical properties?"

"I think you'll find what it contains infinitely more interesting than the bag itself," North told him with an amused smile.

"All right." Hiccup crawled halfway inside, then instantly backed out with a cry of alarm. "Oh my gosh!" he looked up at North, his eyes huge. "Is that a—"

"Yes." North gave him a nod, then leaned down and called softly into the sack, "Come on out little one! You have a friend waiting for you." A moment later, a tiny black creature crawled out, glistening and yawning in the moonlight.

"It-it's a dragon," Hiccup finally said in awe. "A real dragon!"

"Yes," North told hm. "Go ahead, you can pick him up." He waved Hiccup forward, and the trembling teenager did as he was told.

"I can't believe I'm actually holding a real, live dragon," Hiccup whispered, cradling it gently in his arms.

"You would do anything to protect it, yes?" North asked him.

"Absolutely," Hiccup replied, not able to take his eyes off of it.

"Good. Then it's now your responsibility to raise him."

"What?" Hiccup cried, fumbling and almost dropping the dragon. "R-raise it?"

"Of course. It is baby dragon, orphaned and abandoned by its pack," North informed him. "It needs someone to care for it, and make sure it grows up in a safe, loving environment. This could be the start of re-kindling relationships between dragons and humans."

"Well, I'm all for that," Hiccup told him, "but what will my dad say? I can't exactly waltz into the living room and ask him if he'll let me keep a magical creature that's not even supposed to exist?"

"Do not worry," North reassured him. "Dragons are only visible to those who believe in them."

"Oh, well, that's a relief—"

"Although the dragon's flame still causes damage whether people believe in them or not."

"Just great. Let me guess, I'm going to have to fireproof my bedroom?"

"That would be best, yes. Maybe I bring you flame proof sheets for Christmas, yes?"

"Sure…" The tiny dragon started to squirm in Hiccup's grasp, opening its tiny mouth and looking up at him with its huge green eyes. "Oh, you're toothless, huh?" he said, returning his attention back to it.

"He's hungry," North informed him. "This will help." North reached into his bag and pulled out a small silver fish. "Here, feed it to him."

"All right." Hiccup took the fish from him and dangled it over the baby dragon's mouth. The creature opened its mouth wider, as if waiting for him to drop it in, then suddenly revealed shiny rows of teeth and chomped viciously down on it, sending bits and pieces flying. "Oh… that's lovely." Hiccup winced. "I guess the first thing I'll be teaching you is table manners." The dragon looked up at him in surprise, then suddenly regurgitated a whole half of the fish.

"Oh, this is a bonding ritual!" North told him excitedly. "He wants to share meal with you!"

"You're kidding, right?" Hiccup gave him an "are you crazy?" look.

"No, you must eat the half of fish for Toothless to accept you!" North replied. "It is big honor!"

"But it's raw and covered in dragon slobber!" Hiccup complained. Neither North nor the dragon moved however, so with a groan of disgust, he picked up the stinking fish part and put it in his mouth.

"Go on, swallow!" North urged, obviously more concerned up in the intricacies of dragon customs than the teenager's discomfort. Hiccup did as directed, almost gagging it up but finally managing to get it down.

"Wonderful!" North cried, clapping his hands like a happy child as Toothless cuddled up against Hiccup's chest and started purring. "The dragon now accepts you as its new mama."

"Oh great," Hiccup sighed. "As if things couldn't get any better. While all of this was occurring, Bunnymund was getting acquainted with Merida.

"So," Merida said, looking him over, "You're the Easter Bunny. From Jack's description, I thought you'd be taller."

"And I didn't think you'd be a Scottish brat," Bunnymund shot back, crossing his arms over his chest in indignation.

"Australian hillbilly!" Merida returned, sticking her tongue out.

"I did not sign up for babysitting," Bunny huffed. "Jack? Jack, you'd better get over here before I teach you little friend of yours some manners!"

"How 'bout we settle this old fashioned way?" Merida suggested when Jack failed to appear. She drew her bow and an arrow out of their sheath. "Shooting contest. First one to miss their mark loses."

"What's the stakes?" Bunnymund asked, pulling out one of his boomerangs.

"Loser admits in front of everyone that the winner is the supreme marksperson in all the universe," Merida replied, fitting the arrow onto her bow.

"That's a little harsh, don't you think?" Bunnymund asked, readying to throw his boomerang.

"Why? You scared?" Merida taunted."

"No," Bunny responded. "I just don't want to see a little girl cry when she loses."

"Oh, it is on!" Merida cried. "Name the target!"

"Well, I'll go easy on you," Bunnymund said. "Try to hit that sign over there that says 'No Swimming'."

"Kid stuff," Merida scoffed. "C'mon, give me a real challenge."

"All right then," Bunnymund replied, "but you asked for it! Try to shoot that silver leaf at the very top of that tree at the far end of the lake."

"Easy." Merida let her arrow loose and it sailed over the frozen body of water and right up to the top of the oak, where it easily reached its target. "Your turn." Merida turned to a slightly stunned Bunnymund. "I dare you to hit the taillight of that old abandoned car way back in the woods."

"All right then." The car was easily a quarter of a mile from them, but Bunnymund let his boomerang fly and within thirty seconds there was a faint "crash" from the direction of the car. "Your turn again," Bunnymund told her as the boomerang landed back in his hand. "I want you to shoot an apple from the tree half a mile that way."

"I'll do you one better than that," Merida replied, knocking an arrow and letting it loose. The arrow flew off, wobbling visibly as it went.

"Oh, too bad luv," Bunny said with mock sympathy. "Looks like your arrow's gone off course and won't make it."

"Wait for it," Merida told him. They waited a whole minute and then—

"Whoa!" Bunnymund cried, leaping out of the way as the arrow "zoomed" back into the clearing. Merida reached out and caught it, taking a big bite out of the apple speared on its point.

"Give up?" she asked, juice dribbling down her chin as she grinned at him victoriously.

"Not on you nelly," Bunnymund replied, his face going red. "Name the next target."

0o0

"Hi there!" Tooth greeted Rapunzel, fluttering over.

"Hello," Rapunzel replied, shyly shrinking back into her hair.

"Jack told me all about how well you were taking care of Baby Tooth," Tooth continued, trying to coax her out. "He also said that you seemed to understand her. Is that true?"

"Uh huh," Rapunzel responded, nodding slowly.

"That's amazing!" Tooth told her with a big smile. "Most people can't do that. It's a very special gift."

"Really?" Rapunzel looked up at her with huge eyes.

"Yes," Tooth confirmed, glowing with pleasure. Just then Baby Tooth decided to make an appearance, flying up to her ruler and twirling around to show off the tiny outfit Rapunzel had made for her. "Goodness!" Tooth gasped. "Baby Tooth, where on Earth did you get that?"

"I made it," Rapunzel admitted. "I hope it's okay with you that we were playing dress up."

"Are you kidding me?" Tooth shrieked. "It's adorable! Just look at all those tiny, perfect sequins! They shimmer just like little teeth!" She turned eagerly to Rapunzel. "Do you think you could make me one like that?"

"Sure!" Rapunzel's eyes lit up.

"Great!" Tooth laughed. "Maybe this weekend I can fly you up to my palace and we can do a fitting. Just tell you parents you're staying with a friend. We can have a girl's night in!" She leaned in and whispered, "Between you and me, I love the Guardians, but they're all such immature boys. I'm absolutely desperate for some female bonding time with someone who isn't one of my fairies."

"I know what you mean," Rapunzel giggled. "Out of my two friends, one's a boy and the other's a tomboy who has absolutely no interest in clothes or makeup—" She dropped off suddenly. "Wait, did you say palace?"

"Oh, yes," Tooth replied. "It's where I and the rest of the tooth fairies live. I'm sure you'll like it. The chambers are quite comfortable, and the food is absolutely divine. We get delicacies imported in from all over the world: agave nectar, lavender juice—"

"So does this mean," Rapunzel squeaked, cutting in, "that you're a princess?"

"Well, of sorts," Tooth told her. "Technically I'm a queen, but—"

"I can't believe it!" Rapunzel squealed. "I'm going to be designing dresses for a fairy princess! Eeeee! I-I-I think I'm going to faint."

"What?" Tooth cried in alarm, watching helplessly as the girl tumbled backwards into a soft bank of snow. "Ooh." She winced. "That looks very, very cold. Jack? Anyone? A little help over here!"


	16. Chapter 16

A word to the wise: I have two warnings here- 1)This chapter is pretty long, so keep that in mind before you start reading it, get wrapped up, and accidentally miss a class or something! 2)Rapunzel's back story isn't a happy one. I basically just took the abusive thread that was already running through Tangled and went a little deeper. I tried to be respectful and not go into too much detail, but I have friends who grew up in abusive homes, so this is sort of my tribute to them and my way of encouraging those in abusive homes to get help. If you think this part of the story might be a little intense, especially for younger readers, just skip the second portion of Tooth and Rapunzel's conversation-the rest of the chapter is pretty tame. Otherwise, enjoy!

0o0

"So," North asked as he watched Hiccup cradling the now-sleeping dragon in his arms, "what makes you so interested in dragons?"

Hiccup looked up at him in surprise. "Uh… I don't know. I've never really thought about it before."

"Certainly there must be something," North said. "Their size? Their mystery? The way they blow flames?"

"All of the above?" Hiccup answered with a tiny laugh. "I guess I've just always liked them. Somehow I've always felt more comfortable learning about and being a part of their world than being in the world I was born into."

"Really?" North rubbed his chin. "Why is that?"

"I guess I've never really felt that I fit in anywhere," Hiccup admitted. "I've always been one of the smallest kids in my age group. I tend to be picked on at school because I'm so scrawny and I don't go out for sports, and at home my dad thinks I'm some sort of big disappointment because I'm not at all like the Viking warriors of my heritage. He's all outdoors man and woodsy, but I get hives sometimes just thinking about camping out. Plus he likes to hunt, and I've just never felt right about harming an innocent animal for sport. So, aside from hanging out with Merida and Rapunzel sometimes, I stick to my mechanics and try to get along as best I can alone."

"It sounds like you have much pain," North said to him softly.

"Yeah, well, I make it," Discord returned with a shrug, doodling in the dust with the toe of his boot. "I guess maybe that's why I like dragons so much—they're so powerful and they don't need anyone or anything. They don't care about what others think or say about them." He stopped and looked back up at North. "But I feel sorry for them too."

"Why is that?" North asked.

"Because they seem so lonely. I've read in books that most dragons are territorial and that they won't let anyone into their land. They end up being all by themselves with nothing but their treasure to keep them company. I guess if there's one thing I could do for dragons, it would be to teach them how to be friends with each other. Then maybe I could figure out how to make some friends myself."

"I think you have a very big heart Hiccup," North told him after a minute's thought. "But I think you and dragons have much in common. Like them, you are afraid to let people in because of hurt you have felt in the past. You have hard time feeling a part of any group because your heart has closed to the idea that anyone could truly care about you and like you for you."

"Wait, so you're saying that my being alone is my fault?" Hiccup asked, raising a skeptical eyebrow. "Gee, thanks for the pep talk. I feel so much better now."

"No, no, no," North told him, waving his hands. "I do not wish to criticize. I only speak from experience. I spent many, many years before becoming Santa Claus being the leader of a band of thieves. For me, there was nothing and no one that meant more to me than adventure and wealth. But one day I met a man who taught me that there is more to life than material possessions and fame. He showed me much kindness and taught me how to believe in good. Eventually I was able to start receiving that care and begin showing it back to others. So all I am saying is that sometimes you need to receive love before you can give it, but you also have to be willing to receive the love if you ever want things to change."

"Huh." Hiccup looked up at him with a thoughtful expression on his face. "I don't know if I fully understand all of what you're saying, but I think I get the gist."

"Good," North said with a broad smile. "Maybe you can come to my workshop soon, and we can talk more, yes?"

"Wait—you're inviting me to your workshop?" Hiccup gasped, unable to believe his ears. "At the North Pole? Where you invent and make all the toys?"

"Yes," North laughed good humoredly. "Do you want to come? I can always use some help from someone with a little mechanical expertise."

"Of course I do!" Hiccup cried, his exclamation waking the sleeping dragon. Toothless looked up at him in annoyance, then belched a cloud of black smoke up at him, making the boy cough and sputter. North roared with laughter as he saw the boy's blackened face, then pulled out a handkerchief and helped him clean up.

"Maybe I can also give you some tips on raising the dragon," North offered. "There are some books in my library that can show you how to train your dragon."

"Those I will most definitely take," Hiccup responded with a grateful smile.

0o0

"I dare you to try to knock down one of the pillars in Stone Henge!"

"Oh yeah? Well I dare you to knock out one of the lights on the Sidney Opera House!"

The shooting match between Merida and Bunnymund had long since devolved into a shouting match, both trying to outdo the other in coming up with more and more outlandish targets.

"Let's take a breather," Bunnymund finally said. "I don't know about you, but my throat is parched.

"All right," Merida replied. "We can take a break. Only because you're getting tired, of course."

Bunnymund had to laugh as he knelt down next to the lake, breaking a small hole in the ice with his paw and scooping up a handful of water. Merida tried to do the same, but she couldn't punch through the solid ice, which was several inches thick by now.

"Here, let me help you," Bunny offered.

"No, I can do it!" Merida told him fiercely, punching the ice even harder. "Ow!" She shook her stinging hand, then sucked on the bloody knuckle as she gave Bunny the evil eye. "All right, fine," she said. "you can help me. But don't think you've won the competition because of this, all right?"

Bunnymund shook his head as he dipped his paw back into the water, scooping up a pawful for Merida to drink. "Are you always this competitive?"

"Yes," Merida said after taking a long sip.

"Why?" Bunnymund asked her with frank curiosity.

"Do you really want to know?" Merida gave him an incredulous look.

"Sure, I think we can spare a few minutes-unless you're that eager to get back to our shouting match," Bunnymund teased. "It always makes me curious whenever I find humans who are as combative as you are."

"Combative?" Merida gave a snort. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Just that you turn everything into a fight," Bunnymund explained, stretching out on the lakeshore. "In animals, that's fairly common—they have to fight to survive. But I've never really understood why people do it as much as they do—it's not like you're at the bottom of the food chain."

"you've never been to dinner at my house," Merida joked, making Bunny crack a smile. Then she sank down next to him, wrapping her arms around her legs and sighing. "I guess different people have different reasons for feeling like they have to defend themselves."

"What's yours?" Bunny sat up slightly.

"It's me mum," Merida finally admitting, fiddling with a small blade of grass. "She's always riding me about being perfect—having perfect posture, perfect grades, perfect clothes, perfect everything! And the one thing I'm good at—archery—she doesn't even care about. She says she's trying to look out for me, but I feel like she's trying to run my life."

"That's parents for you," Bunny agreed. "They can be as sweet and lovin' as a shepherd with a lamb, but sometimes in trying to protect their youngin's, they only run them off."

"I wouldn't even mind half of it" Merida replied, throwing a branch out onto the frozen lake, "if it weren't for the boys!"

"Boys?" Bunnymund's whiskers twitched in amusement. "What? Yer mum don't approve of your boyfriend or somethin'?"

"That would be easy." Merida rolled her eyes. "The problem is that she's obsessed with getting me together with some boy from a high-class family and I don't want anything to do with it! You'd think as a junior high principal she'd know what boys are like, but when it comes to finding one for me she'll turn a blind eye to any problems so long as the lad's got a fancy title behind his name."

"Surely they can't all be bad," Bunnymund said.

"Oh yes they can," Merida returned. "I've seen everything: the mother's boys, the spoiled brats, the ones who are obsessed with nothing but video games, and the lads who can't stop staring at themselves in the mirror to save their lives. The last one who came over actually ate paste!"

"All right, that does sound pretty bad," Bunnymund admitted. "But do you have any other lads that you would rather be with? Maybe someone at school? There's that Hiccup chap Jack says you hang out with. He seems like a nice enough bloke."

"He is, but he's more of a brother than anything," Merida told Bunny. "Besides, he's got his eyes on Astrid, the captain of the girls' soccer team. To tell you the truth, I think I value my freedom too much to be tied down to anyone right now."

"That's not a bad thing," Bunny said, chewing thoughtfully on a long stem of grass, "especially right now, while you're young and have your whole life ahead you. There'll be plenty of time for romance later on."

"Exactly," Merida agreed, wrapping her arms around her legs and leaning back.

"Oh goodness!" she laughed. "Look at me, going on and on about my troubles without even bothering to ask you anything about yourself. Mum would be scandalized!"

Bunny laughed too. "I guess there's not a whole lot to tell."

"Jack told me a little about what you do and where you live," Merida gave him a teasing grin. "But you seem like such an expert on the matter of love and parents, surely you've got a Missus Rabbit at home?"

"Hah." Bunny gave a snort. "Nice one. But no, I don't."

"Really? How come?" Merida scooted closer.

"Same as you, I guess," Bunny replied, staring up at the stars. "Too busy with watching over the kids of the Earth, not enough time for romance—even if I did find the right girl. Besides, who'd want an old bachelor like me anyway? I'm too set in my ways, too set on being independent to settle down."

"Well, maybe someone who's equally as independent," Merida suggested. Bunny could see by the open look on her face that she was just speaking her mind, but he couldn't help but feel the tips of his ears go warm.

"C'mon," he said, leaping up and shaking himself off. "I have an idea."

"Really? What?" Merida took his paw and he helped her up.

"Have you ever tried to shoot down a star?" he asked.

"Shoot down a star? Are you crazy? They're thousands of light years away!"

"Not wishing stars," Bunnymund told her. He pointed up in the sky to a fuzzy blue star that seemed lighter than the rest. "Usually people just wait for them to fall to make wishes. But the truth is, if you know how to do it, you can shoot one down and wish early."

"Truly?" Merida looked up at him with shining eyes. "Cor! But—won't it hurt the star?"

"Naw," Bunnymund waved a dismissive paw. "They're so numb and frozen from being out in space that they can't feel it. Besides, since they're made of gas and dust it can't really hurt them at all."

"All right." Merida nodded. "Let's do it!"

"Good." Bunny grinned back at her. "What you need to do is point your arrow at the star—that's right, just like that—and pull the bow string back as far as you can."

"Okay!" Merida pulled on the string as hard as she could. "Is this good?"

"No, further," Bunnymund told her, shaking his head. "It's got a long way to go, so it needs as much behind it as possible.

"I-can't-go-any-further," Merida responded through gritted teeth.

"Here, let me help you." Bunnymund moved around to stand behind her and gripped onto the bow, managing to get it almost twice as far back.

"Blimey you're strong!" Merida cried, looking up at him.

"Just comes with the territory," Bunnymund replied, trying to hide a smile. "All right, I think we've got it far enough. Any more and the bow'll snap. Are you ready?"

"Ready!" Merida said, focusing all her attention on the star.

"On three," Bunnymund instructed. "One…two…three!" On three, they let go simultaneously and the arrow went rocketing out into space.

"Wow!" Merida gasped. She looked back at Bunnymund. "How will we know if it worked?"

"Shouldn't be too long if we did it right," Bunnymund told her, standing back and folding his arms over his chest. Merida danced around in excitement, obviously still feeling the rush from her first star shoot. He remembered the first time he'd done it with his trusty boomerangs. But the thrill of the actual shoot was nothing compared to what came next: actually seeing a wishing star up close.

As he'd predicted, it didn't take long for the star to arrive. It came down in a blazing shower of blue and white sparks, coming to a stop only a few feet from Merida. The girl gasped, her face reflecting the glow of the star and her own inner joy.

"Cor!" she breathed as she stared at the swirling mass of gas and dust, its tiny face sating expectantly up at her with a smile.

"Well, go on," Bunnymund told her, laughing. "Make your wish."

"I don't know what to wish for," Merida whispered. "It-it looks an awful lot like a wisp, doesn't it?"

"A close cousin, actually," Bunnymund informed her.

"Yer jokin'!" Merida cried. "So that means me mum was right—I really did see a wisp when I was little!"

"Wait, you saw a wisp when you were little?" Bunnymund asked. "Here, in the States?"

"Yes," Merida replied. "Why do you ask?"

"Wisps usually stay over in Europe. That's their native home. Why would one come here?"

"Mum said it's because we're descended from Scottish royalty."

"Descended from—you couldn't have told me this sooner?"

"Why? What difference does it make?"

"What difference does it make? If you're a bloomin' Scottish Princess, you could have just called the star down!"

"I can do that?"

"Royalty from the old kingdoms always had special connections with the mythological creatures. And since it runs in the blood, you've probably got a whole fleet of magical beings at your disposal."

"Wow." Merida gave a surprised laugh. "What would mum think if I brought home a few dozen of those?" Then she was silent for a minute, letting the information soak in. Finally she grinned. "Don't suppose those magical creatures include you, do they?"

"Sorry 'lass', I'm from a different part of the globe," Bunnymund replied.

"Phooey. Otherwise I was going to command you to give me a ride to school every day," Merida said with fake disappointment. They both laughed. "Still…" she continued, "even if I could have just called down the star, I think it was much more fun doing it with you."

"That it was," Bunnymund agreed.

"So… do we have a truce?" Merida asked suddenly. "I'll give you an official apology for any insults I made earlier, if you like."

"What insults?" Bunny replied, giving her a friendly wink. "Now go on, you'd better make your wish. The star hasn't got all night. He's got to get back up into the heavens and get ready to grant his next wish."

"Blimey, I still can't think of anything I want to wish for," Merida said, shaking her head. "After a night like tonight, I feel as if I hadn't a trouble in the world!"

"Well, think of a problem quick, or else he's going to leave."

Merida closed her eyes in concentration, then a second later they popped open. "I've got it!" she cried.

"Good. Now just go and whisper it to the star, and he'll grant it for you," Bunnymund instructed her, gently pushing her forward. Merida did as she was told, bending down and quickly whispering her request. The star looked up at her with a pleased smile, then nodded. It grew brighter and brighter until it was impossibly bright, and then with a flash, it was gone.

"Where did it go?" Merida gasped, looking around in amazement.

"Back up," Bunnymund told her, pointing out the tiny blue speck which winked happily down at them.

"Wow." Merida looked awed.

"So, what did you end up wishing for?" Bunnymund inquired. "For yer mum to stop bringing all those boys over?" He secretly hoped that she hadn't made a wish to banish all romantic interests from her life.

"Oh no," Merida scoffed. "I figure the next time one comes over I can have a wulver hide in my closet, or take 'im down to the beach to meet Ol' Nessie. After a few time of that I don't think I'll have any more trouble with gentlemen callers."

"I bet you won't." Bunnymund cracked up. This girl had ingenuity, he had to give her that. "So what did you actually wish for?"

"Well…" Merida twisted a crimson curl around one finger. "Since I couldn't think of anything I wanted, I asked the star to grant your wish." She smiled eagerly up at him. "Did he do it?"

Bunnymund felt a wide grin spread across his face, and this time he didn't make an effort to hide it. "You know what? I think he did."

0o0

"Rapunzel? Rapunzel honey, please wake up!" Tooth flittered around the unconscious girl nervously, trying to think of how to wake her up. She'd never had to deal wit ha child who had passed out except for those affected by Sandy's magic.

"W-what happened?" Rapunzel mumbled, stirring to life.

"Oh, thank goodness!" Tooth cried, feeling a grateful prayer rising in her throat. Then she reached out a hand to help Rapunzel to her feet. "You fainted and fell back into the snow. I was so worried about you!"

"S-sorry," Rapunzel apologized, nervously running her fingers through her hair.

"Sorry?" Tooth asked. "Why are you saying 'sorry'? I'm just glad you're alright! You have absolutely nothing to apologize for."

"Sorry," Rapunzel squeaked, pulling her hair in front of her face. Tooth let out a small sigh. Obviously something was bothering the girl, but what she wasn't sure. It would be hard to communicate well from a distance, though, so she decided to do something she hadn't done for 440 years—she landed. As she sat down on the soft snow next to Rapunzel, she realized that the little girl was crying. "Hey, it's okay," Tooth said softly, reaching out and laying a hand Rapunzel's shoulder. "You're going to be okay."

"Do-not-touch-me!" Rapunzel shrieked, jerking away in terror. Tooth stared at her in surprise.

"Rapunzel, something is obviously wrong here. Do you want to tell me about it?"

Rapunzel burst out into another bout of tears, putting her head in her hands and rocking back and forth very quickly. Tooth thought that she might be hyperventilating a little.

"No one—touches me," Rapunzel finally sobbed. "Not anymore. I—can't stand human touch. Touch always brings pain."

"Touch brings pain…?" Tooth asked, realization dawning on her. "Rapunzel, has someone—has someone hurt you? Done things to you that should never have been done to a little girl?"

Rapunzel nodded. "My—mother."

"Your mother?" Tooth felt her feathers raise, appalled. "Your own mother hurt you?"

"Not my real mother," Rapunzel explained, gulping for breath. "Mother Gothel . She—she's the one who took me away from my parents when I was very little. She always told me she was my mother, and I didn't know any better, so I believed her."

"Are you still living with her?" Tooth questioned, already forming an escape plan in her mind in case she was.

"No," Rapunzel answered. "About six months ago—the police finally found me. I had snuck out of the house—I was looking for someone. Someone must have recognized me from a missing child poster and the police came and got me. They took me to my real parents and I live with them now."

"And Gothel?" Tooth inquired, refusing to add the title "mother" to such a vile person. "I hope they locked her up!"

"They tried," Rapunzel said, finally looking up, her big green eyes wet with tears, "but she got away before they could catch her."

"Oh honey," Tooth cried, her heart breaking for this poor, innocent girl. "I am so sorry."

Rapunzel shrugged. "I-I don't really talk to people about it. Even my parents and the police don't know most of what happened."

"Maybe—maybe it would help if you did talk about it," Tooth suggested. "Only if you want to, of course. But I know from experience that sometimes getting everything out in the open helps alleviate the pain we're holding inside."

"I'd give anything to stop this nightmare I'm living inside," Rapunzel said softly, pulling her knees up to her chest. "But it hurts to talk about it."

"I'm sure it does," Tooth replied soothingly. "Reliving the past can be scary. But if I had a bet, you're probably reliving it on a daily basis already inside your head. That's why you're scared of human touch, right? It brings up the memories."

"Yes," Rapunzel admitted. She stared off into space for a while, the pain evident on her face. Tooth was beginning to think that she probably wasn't ready to discuss it, when suddenly the girl started talking, more to herself than to Tooth.

"Mother always kept me inside the house," Rapunzel said, her voice distant, her eyes glassy. "She never let me outside. She never told me why—she just threatened to beat me if I ever went out. I didn't go to school. She taught me herself, when she felt like it. The rest I had to learn from reading books she had stashed away in the attic. She was always telling me how wonderful a mother she was, how horrible other kids had it, how lucky I was to have her to protect me from all the dangers in the world. All the time she showed me newspaper clippings and stories in the news about the horrible things that were happening to other kids. She told me I was stupid and fat and lazy, and no would ever want or love me. She made me think I was worth nothing, and she scared me into never wanting to leave her."

Rapunzel took a breath before continuing. "Mother always had lots of chores for me, and if I didn't do them perfectly she would hit me. If I accidentally chipped a dish, she hit me. If I didn't dust the clock, she hit me. If I wasn't in bed exactly by 8:00, she hit me. Any excuse she could find to beat me, she did. The only time I didn't have to worry was when she was out getting drunk or with one of her boyfriends—and even then I wasn't safe. The men she brought over to the house—some of them were nice, but others weren't. Some of them would give me scary looks—or worse." Rapunzel shivered at the memories. Then she seemed to remember something. "That's right, that was the one time she let me outside. She would send me out into the back yard at night if she had a man staying over, and I would sleep there."

"She made you sleep outside?" Tooth was flabbergasted by the sheer number of atrocities she had already heard, but it was the first thing that would actually come out of her mouth.

"Yes, but I didn't mind," Rapunzel replied. "Actually, I liked getting to be outdoors. I would lay on the concrete and look up at the stars and pretend that they were a big blanket covering me. And I liked the moon too. I'd pretend that the Man in the Moon was watching me. He seemed nice—like someone who actually cared about me, like a real father would."

Tooth felt a secret gratefulness that it seemed the Man in the Moon had been watching over this poor little girl.

"Oh, and one other good thing about being in the backyard," Rapunzel told her, her eyes actually lighting up for a brief moment. "Sometimes in the morning, before Mother let me back into the house, a little boy from next door would sneak in through the fence to see me. I think he was just curious, but he was one of the things that made my life bearable. He called himself 'Flynn the Adventurer', and he always told me the most fantastic stories. I always made sure he was gone before Mother came out, though. Except that one morning—he was telling a really good story. I was so caught up in it that I lost track of time. Mother caught us, and she got very angry. She said she was going to kill Flynn, and I was so scared that I pushed him through the fence and told him to never come back. Mother gave me a really bad whipping after that, and she never let me out in the backyard again. She got even more strict. It was getting to the point where I didn't think I was going to live much longer if I stayed. That's why, one day while she was out, I left the house. Whatever punishment she would give me if she caught me couldn't be any worse than what she was already doing. I was trying to find Flynn because I didn't have anywhere else to go. And that's when someone spotted me, and, well, you know the rest."

"Rapunzel, I am so, so sorry," Tooth said after a minute. "I think—I think you are a very strong young woman. Most people could not have made it through what you have gone through."

"But why did it have to happen to me?" Rapunzel cried, bursting out into tears again. "Why did I have to be taken from my home and hurt so much?"

"Honey, I don't know," Tooth admitted. "There's a lot of thing we'll never know in this life. But one thing I do know is that those who have experienced a lot of pain have gone through it because they have a great purpose ahead of them."

"I don't want a great purpose," Rapunzel sobbed. "I just want the pain to stop!"

"I know, I know," Tooth told her soothingly. "And I think what you have done here tonight is a very big step on the path to recovering. I can't say it will be easy, and the pain will probably never go away fully. But there are ways I think you'll find that will make it much easier to handle.

Rapunzel nodded, sniffing. "I guess—I guess that's why I've always loved princesses so much. They always seem to always have happily ever afters, and that's what I wanted."

"And I think you may still have one coming," Tooth reassured her. "You're still young. You've got your whole life ahead of you, just full of wonderful possibilities."

"I'm not so sure," Rapunzel finally responded hesitantly. "I mean, Mother Gothel's still on the loose. I'm so scared that she's going to come back for me, and this time I won't be able to get away."

"I am going to make you a promise right here and now," Tooth said firmly. "I am going to send every fairy I can spare out to look for her, and they are going to find her and bring her to justice if we have to search the whole globe ten times over."

"Really?" Rapunzel looked up at her in relief. "You can do that?"

"I can and will," Tooth replied. "A fairy's word is her bond and I will do everything in my power to keep you safe. In fact—" She turned to Baby Tooth, who had been resting on her shoulder, "I've got an idea. Until we've found Gothel and handed her over to the authorities, I'm going to have Baby Tooth stay with you. All of my fairies are linked to me, and so if you are in any danger, she will let me know and I will come immediately."

"Honest?" Rapunzel wiped tears out of her eyes. "You would do that for me?"

"Of course," Tooth responded with a grin. "What are friends for?"

"Friends." Rapunzel smiled up at her. "I like that."

"Me too," Rapunzel told her. "On a more serious note, I really think you should tell your parents what you told me. They can make sure that you start getting the help you need and begin moving out of the nightmare of the past into the bright daylight of your future."

Rapunzel was silent for a full minute, then slowly nodded. "Okay. I'll do it."

"I'm so glad!" Tooth told her. She almost gave the girl another hug, but stopped short, remembering Rapunzel's aversion to touch. "Oops, sorry," she apologized.

"Actually, I—I think I'll take that hug," Rapunzel said shyly. "Just a short one. I need to get used to touch, so baby steps, right?"

"Right," Tooth agreed, feeling her chest swell with sisterly pride. "Sometimes the first step is all it takes." 


	17. Chapter 17

Okay, hopefully you all survived that. I had a lot of fun developing the unique interactions between the characters (including Merida and Bunnymund *cough**cough*), and I hope you enjoyed reading about them. But where has Jack been during all of this? What has he been doing while his friends are meeting the other Guardians? Well, let's find out!

0o0

"So." Jack turned to Sandy, who was sitting next to him on a tree branch high above the clearing. "What do you think? Am I right about them?"

Sandy glanced over at him, then up at the moon, and gave a decided nod.

"That's wonderful!" Jack cried, beaming with happiness. But he quickly went serious. "Well, sort of. It's not going to be easy for them. I mean, it will help that they're already bonding with the others—they won't be all alone in the beginning like I was. But, depending on if the Man in the Moon lets them keep their memories or not, they may have to say goodbye to pretty much everyone and everything they've ever known."

Sandy intertwined his fingers, holding them up for Jack to see.

"Yeah, you're right. At least they'll have each other. And I'll be right there beside them to help however I can."

Sandy gave a nod.

"Wow." Jack looked off into space. "I wonder what it's going to be like having three new guardians—kids my own age! Or, well, sort of."

Sandy gave a silent laugh, then started weaving one of his sand pictures in the air. Several figures soon took shape. Jack could see himself surrounded by several other youths, who he quickly recognized to be Rapunzel, Merida, and Hiccup. Rapunzel was dressed in a princess gown, her long, long hair stretching out behind her as she talked and laughed. Merida was dressed in traditional Scottish garb, shooting arrows off into the distance as she rode a horse bareback. And Hiccup was dressed in leather armor, saddling what appeared to be a dragon and preparing to fly.

"Wow," Jack gasped. Then he squinted as two more figures appeared: One, a teenage boy, appeared behind Rapunzel, and soon the two began to dance. The other, a girl, walked up to Hiccup and together the two mounted the dragon.

"Wait, there are going to be two more?" Jack asked Sandy, unable to believe his eyes. "That's fantastic! Do you know who they are?"

Sandy gave him a "who knows?" sort of shrug. Then, with a mischievous look on his face, he cleared the sky of all but Jack, and brought in a figure of Tooth, followed by a little girl with tiny hummingbird wings and hair that looked remarkably like Jack's—

"Sandy!" Jack protested with a laugh. "Tooth and I aren't even dating." Although as he peered down to where he could see Tooth and Rapunzel talking, he had to admit that she was really cute when she got into her "helping mode".

Sandy gave him a playful nudge and a knowing smile, then cleared away all the images.

"Wait!" Jack suddenly jumped up. "I just had a thought. Do you know if—has the Man in the Moon told you—Is Jamie going to become a guardian?"

Sandy considered this, then gave him a sad look, shaking his head and shrugging his shoulders.

"You don't know?" Jack asked quietly. Sandy nodded. "But you don't think that he will?" Sandy nodded again.

Jack let out a long sigh. "I guess it makes sense. I really wouldn't want Mrs. Bennett to go through losing another child. It's just…"

Sandy patted his hand, letting him know that he understood. "Well, speaking of Jamie and Mrs. Bennett, what time is it?" Jack looked up to see how far the moon had progressed across the sky. "Yikes! That late? Man, we've got to get this wrapped up. Mrs. Bennett's probably worried sick by now, and she hasn't even gotten to meet you all yet. This is going to be a very late night." He turned his staff over in his hands a few times. "you know what? I think one we get all of the others home, I'm going to make sure that tomorrow's a snow day so she can sleep in. She's going to need it."

Sandy nodded as if to say that he approved of the idea. He always approved of anything that involved getting sleep.

"Well, let's go break up the party," Jack said, getting up and flying back down to the clearing, followed closely by Sandy.

"Hey everyone, it's getting late!" he called. Nobody seemed to hear him. "C'mon, I think it's time we got everyone home—before parents discover that their children are gone and start calling the police?"

"Aw!" was the collective response.

"Do we have to?" Merida asked. "Just five more minutes!"

"Sorry, but five minutes turns into another five minutes, and before we know it, it'll be five in the morning."

"C'mon mate, have a care!" Bunnymund protested.

"No, Jack's right," North said, groaning as he got to his feet. "It's time the children were in bed."

"Hey, who's side are you on?" grumbled Bunnymund.

"Why are you so interested in keeping them out late?" Jack countered.

"Don't we have a say in this?" Hiccup intervened before it could turn into a full-on argument. "We're not invisible y'know."

"Right, sorry," Jack apologized.

"It's alright," Rapunzel said with a gentle smile. "It is getting late, and it is pretty chilly out here. We'd better get going."

"I'll fly you home," Tooth offered.

"Oh, it's okay," Rapunzel told her. "I think I could use the walk to clear my head a little. But thanks for…you know. And for letting Baby Tooth stay with me. I'll take really good care of her, I promise."

"I know you will," Tooth replied with a smile. "Be safe. Oh, and don't forget to ask your parents about this weekend, okay?"

"Sure thing!" Rapunzel agreed brightly. "Bye Tooth! Bye Jack! Bye everyone!" With a wave, she and Baby Tooth headed off into the darkness.

"I'd better be going too," Hiccup said, adjusting the sleeping dragon in his arms. "When can we schedule that visit to the North Pole?" he asked North eagerly.

"Well, since I think school may be closed on account of snow, how about tomorrow?" North suggested. "I'll pick you up in my sleigh."

"Yes sir!" Hiccup replied excitedly. He waved goodbye to the others, then he too was gone.

"I guess I'll be on my way too," Merida said, strapping her quiver and bow back on.

"Would you like an escort home?" Bunnymund offered.

"Nah, I'll be fine," Merida responded, waving him off. "If I run into trouble, I'll just call a selkie or something."

Bunnymund looked slightly put out, but then asked, "Well, can I see you again at least?"

"Of course you can," Merida told him with a laugh. "It's not like I'm going anywhere."

"Right." Bunnymund's whiskers twitched anxiously. "Maybe we can have some target practice again sometime?"

"I'd like that. Maybe you can teach me how to use those boomerangs of yours."

"Absolutely."

"You know," Jack broke in teasingly, "You promised Jamie you'd teach him how to use those too. Maybe you can make a party of it."

"The more the merrier," Merida agreed, much to Bunnymund's chagrin. "All right then, I'm off!" she told them all, giving a general wave. Then she gave Bunnymund a quick punch on the arm. "Australian hillbilly."

"Scottish brat," he returned softly. And then Merida was gone.

"So…what was all that about?" Jack asked, elbowing Bunny.

"None of your flea bitten business," Bunnymund replied.

"Uh huh." Jack considered pressing the issue further, but decided to let it drop. "So I'll take it everyone got along okay?" he continued, turning to the others.

"Yes," North confirmed, sounding pleased. "Hiccup is good boy. I see good things in his future."

"And Rapunzel is such a sweetheart," Tooth gushed. "The poor thing has been through so much—oh, but I probably shouldn't say anything she tells me it's okay. But I really like her. She's already like a little sister to me."

"I'm glad," Jack laughed. For a moment he debated telling the others about what he and Sandy had just been discussing, but decided against it. Better to just let them find out when the time came.

"So. I guess it's time." Jack let out a long sigh as the weight of the coming encounter settled on him.

"You know, you don't have to do this Jack," Tooth said gently, placing a hand on his shoulder. "You could stay with the Bennetts. I'm sure we'd manage somehow."

"No." Jack shook his head. "I can see now that I'm needed as a guardian. It's just going to be hard saying goodbye." He gave a halfhearted laugh. "Well, at least I can be grateful that I get to say goodbye this time."

"And besides, it's not like you have to say goodbye forever," Tooth reminded him. "you can always come back for visits, especially during the winter."

"True," Jack agreed. "But it won't be the same. It's not like—like I'll still be her son."

"Hey." Tooth gave his hand a gentle squeeze. "Sometimes you have to work with what you have. And besides, if she loved you as her son before, she'll continue to love you as her son even after you go away. That kind of love doesn't just disappear as soon as a person's out of sight. It continues on in both your hearts, even after you're gone."

"Thanks Tooth," Jack said gratefully, giving her hand a squeeze back. "I needed to hear that."

"Anytime." Tooth smiled.

"All right." Jack turned to the others. "I think I'm ready now. Let's go."

0o0

Wow, looks like we're going to be having some new Guardians! How awesome is that? And how about that thing with Jack and Tooth-was that just a joke, or is it an actual prophecy? Hm, I guess only time can tell! But now Jack's going to go face the hardest parting of all-saying goodbye to the Bennetts.


	18. Chapter 18

Wow, here it is, the emotional ending we've all been waiting for. Jack has to say goodbye to the family he's only just found. Will it be forever, or is there still hope for the newest member of the Bennett clan? Grab a hanky folks, this might be a tear jerker as we reach the conclusion of "Melting Jack"!

0o0

Mrs. Bennett started as she heard the knock on the door. She'd spent a sleepless past few hours at the kitchen table, her coffee growing cold as she stared off into space. Jamie had arrived home earlier that afternoon reassuring her that both he and Jack were fine, but she couldn't help but worry as evening turned into night and the older boy had not returned. She feared the worst—that the events of the past were playing themselves out all over again—and that's why she was so fearful when she heard the knock at the door at this late hour. Could it be the police? Had they come to tell her that they'd found Jack's body, just like they had three years ago with Jacob? With great trepidation, she made her way down the front hall. "Please Lord," she silently prayed, "If the worst has happened, please help me to bear it." With fumbling fingers, she worked the lock on the doorknob. Then she slowly opened the door to find—

"Jack!" She felt a wave of relief and thankfulness wash over her. For a moment she was too scared to move, almost afraid that he was some sort of apparition that would disappear as soon as she touched him. But then she gave way and swept him up into a hug.

"Hi mom," Jack mumbled into her sweater as he was slightly crushed in her embrace.

"I was so worried about you!" Mrs. Bennett cried, holding him out at arm's length. "Where were you? What happened? Have you been outside all this time? You're as cold as death!"

Jack winced slightly at her choice of words. "I'm fine," he told her, self-consciously checking to make sure his hood was still in place.

"Are you sure? you look so pale!" Mrs. Bennett searched his face with a concerned expression. "Maybe it's just a trick of the moonlight, but-"

"I was out visiting my friends," Jack quickly cut in, trying to make things as least awkward as possible. "you know, the ones I told you I stayed with sometimes?"

"Oh." Mrs. Bennett looked a little surprised. "I don't mind your going to see them, but don't you think you could have told me first-especially if you were planning to stay out so late?"

"Sorry," Jack apologized, lowering his eyes slightly. "Something important came up suddenly."

"All right." Mrs. Bennett nodded. "Just please try not to do this again, okay?" She patted his arm. "Now, let's get you to bed. It's late and we could both use some sleep." She started to lead him towards the stairs, but Jack shrugged her hand off.

"Actually," he said, feeling flutters of nervousness in his stomach, "there's something I need to tell you."

"What is it?" Mrs. Bennett turned to look at him. Seeing the expression on his face, she added, "Is something wrong?"

"Not exactly." Jack swallowed hard. "It might be easier if I showed you. But first-" he took a deep breath "-I think you need to meet my friends."

"You mean in the morning?" Mrs. Bennett asked.

"No, I mean right now," Jack responded, trying to summon up as much courage as he could.

"In the middle of the night?" Mrs. Bennett looked aghast.

"They usually keep late hours," Jack explained quickly.

"Well...okay," Mrs. Bennett finally agreed, looking out the front door. "Are they waiting outside?"

"No, actually, they're already in the living room," Jack informed her.

"What?" Mrs. Bennett exclaimed. "But...when? How? I've been awake all night and I didn't hear or see a thing!"

"They came in just now while we were talking," Jack told her, giving an apologetic shrug.

Mrs. Bennett looked slightly perturbed, but all she said was, "All right. Let's go meet them then."

"Wait." Jack grabbed her hand before she could walk off. "First I have to ask you something."

"What is it?" Mrs. Bennett turned back to look at him.

"Um...Do you remember when you were little, and you used to believe in stories about Santa Claus, the Easter Bunny, the Tooth Fairy, and even the Sand Man?"

"Yes," Mrs. Bennett responded. "I guess every child goes through that stage. Why do you ask?"

"What if I told you that they were all real-that they actually existed, and they've been doing their jobs for hundreds of years, bringing joy to and protecting children?"

"Jack, what is this about?"

"Please, just bear with me. You know those presents that end up under the tree at Christmas that you know you never put there? And the Easter eggs that end up in the yard that you never hid, or those coins that you find under Jamie and Sophie's pillows before you get a chance to take their teeth, or those nights when the kids go right to sleep as if by magic? What if I told you that it was all because of them? Would you believe me?"

"Well, I'd have to think about it-"

"Please." Jack put up his hands to stop her. "Don't think. Just...believe."

Mrs. Bennett locked eyes with him, surprised to see how serious he looked. "All right," she finally agreed. "I believe you. But still, what does this have to do with anything?"

"I think you'll understand in just a moment," Jack replied, feeling relief well up in his chest as she led her back down the hall to the living room. Just as they pulled up level with the door, he threw one of his magic snowballs at her while her back was turned, just to be on the safe side. "Mom? I'd like you to meet my friends-the Guardians."

"What on Earth?" Mrs. Bennett cried as she was greeted with the sight of not one, not two, but four legendary figures standing in her living room.

"Good evening," North greeted her, bowing and kissing her hand. "It is pleasure to meet you. Jack has spoken very highly of you."

"Uh...thank you?" Mrs. Bennett looked over uncertainly at Jack, who just nodded and smiled.

"Evenin'," Bunnymund said, giving a half wave with one of his boomerangs. Sandy made a sand bowler hat, which he tipped with a flourish.

"Thank you so much for taking care of Jack for us," Tooth said, fluttering over. "It was such a relief knowing that he was in good hands while he was recovering."

"You're welcome," Mrs. Bennett replied, still in shock. "But what do you mean by 'recovering'? And how exactly did Jack end up staying with all of you unless-" She turned back to Jack, who had by now taken off his hood. "Oh goodness."

they met eyes, staring as if seeing each other for the first time.

"Yeah." Jack finally mustered up the strength to speak. "I'm...Jack Frost."

Mrs. Bennett closed her eyes, turning away as if it were too much to take in. Jack felt his feet lift off the ground, wanting to go over and try to talk to her, but he forced himself to stay put.

"You know," Mrs. Bennett said after a little while, her voice sounding choked as she turned back around, wiping a tear from her cheek. "Earlier this evening, I felt the need to dig out some old journals that had been passed down to me. They belonged to some of my ancestors. I looked through them, and, um... I think you should take a look." She leaned down and pulled a leather bound volume out of a box by the couch. Jack wondered what she was doing, but took the book as she offered it to him. "Read where I left the bookmark," Mrs. Bennett told him, still trying to keep her emotions in check. Jack did as he was told, opening to the passage Mrs. Bennett had indicated. The pages were yellowed with age, but the dark ink still showed strongly. For a moment Jack felt his throat constrict. he would have recognized the handwriting anywhere-it was his little sister's. He glanced up at Mrs. Bennett, who nodded, blinking away tears. Swallowing hard, he started to read.

The date was exactly three hundred years ago. In swirls and strokes, his little sister detailed the events of the day- the day he had "died". It was heart-wrenching to read of the grief his family had experienced-the guilt his little sister had felt about her part in his untimely demise. With all his might, he wanted to go back in time and comfort her, to tell her that it wasn't her fault. But he couldn't. Three hundred years of history stood between them. With a heavy heart, he closed the book and handed it back to Mrs. Bennett. "Thank you," was all he could get out. What more could he say?

"I don't think you read past that day, did you?" Mrs. Bennett asked.

Jack shook his head "no".

"Well, if you had," Mrs. Bennett continued, "I think you would have discovered that a week later, the girl returned to the pond-and found a boy with snow white hair and blue eyes who looked exactly like her brother there. She went back to visit him many times, and apparently they were lifelong friends. Does that sound familiar?"

"Uh, maybe?" Jack tried to think back that far. Three hundred years had done much to muddle his memory, but somehow it sounded vaguely familiar.

"I took the liberty of going through these other journals," Mrs. Bennett told him, gesturing to a pile of books varying in sizes and shapes on the coffee table. "All of these belonged to relatives of mine, passed down through the ages. And all of them contain accounts where the writers were helped by or had encounters with a similar boy: white hair, blue eyes, and always accompanied by cold and snow. Without realizing it, Jack, I think you've been this family's guardian angel for centuries."

"I have?" Jack was stunned. He hadn't been above helping a struggling stranger from time to time, but until now he hadn't realized that most, if any, had actually seen him. Maybe that's why he had always felt a special connection to those he'd assisted-because they were actually family!

"Jamie told me everything this afternoon," Mrs. Bennett admitted, breaking into Jack's thoughts. "How you and the guardians protected him and Sophie from Pitch, all the way through today's rescue at the lake. I wasn't sure I believed it-I didn't necessarily want to believe it. But now I know that it's true and I am so, so grateful for everything you've done for them-for us."

"You're welcome," Jack got out. "But I have to ask-what did I do for you?"

"Aside from protecting Jamie and Sophie?" Mrs. Bennett gave him a half smile. "If I remember correctly, back at my Senior prom, there was a nice boy who offered to dance with me out on the balcony under a light snow fall when I was all alone-and that same night gave me the courage to ask another boy to dance who ended up becoming my husband."

"That was you?" Jack blinked in surprise.

"That was me," Mrs. Bennett replied, sounding slightly shy. "And I think there was something else that you did."

"What?" Jack couldn't believe that there was more.

"Three years ago, at the site of the car crash," Mrs. Bennett said softly, " I talked to the emergency worker. They said that the car crash should have worse than it was-that the semi should have rammed right into my husband's car and killed him and Jacob on impact. But there was a pile of snow between the two vehicles that shouldn't have been there that softened the impact. That snow bank, Jack, allowed them to survive long enough for me to get there and to say goodbye." She took Jack's hands in her own. "Jack, I can never repay you for everything you've done for us, but thank you. Thank you."

It was Jack's turn to turn away and wipe a tear from his eyes. All those years he'd spent, thinking he was invisible to everyone and that he was completely useless. Now to find out that he had actually changed the course of lives-it was almost too much.

"I-I guess you know what has to happen now," he said quietly, facing her again.

"I think so," Mrs. Bennett replied softly. "I don't want to let you go, but I know I have to."

"Yeah," Jack agreed. "I feel the same way."

"I'll go get Jamie and Sophie," Mrs. Bennett said suddenly. Her eyes filled with tears as she dashed out of the room. Jack and the others waited in silence for her return. A few minutes later she was back, holding both children by the hand.

"Jack, you're leaving again?" Jamie cried, his eyes wide with disappointment.

"Yeah kiddo," Jack responded, getting down to Jamie's level. "I have to go—but only for the summer. I'll be back to visit as soon as it's time for the weather to turn cold again." He said it to Jamie, but he looked up to make sure Mrs. Bennett had heard him too.

"Can't I come with you Jack?" Jamie asked, looking up at him pleadingly.

"No Jamie," Jack replied gently. "I need you here to look after Mom and Sophie. While I'm not here, you're going to have to be a guardian for them. And you've also got the job of guarding the other kid's belief in me and the other Guardians. Do you think you can do that for me?"

"Uh huh," Jamie agreed, sniffling slightly.

"Good." Jack mustered up the biggest smile he could manage. "You know, I used to have a little sister. She was exactly like you: funny, smart, and brave. Very, very brave."

"Really?" Jamie wiped his eyes with his shirt sleeve.

"Yup. And I had another little sister who looked just like Sophie, and a mom who looked just like your mom—and if I remember correctly, I had a little brother too."

Mrs. Bennett's hands instantly went to her stomach. "Oh no," she laughed. "History doesn't repeat itself that exactly."

"Maybe not," Jack agreed, standing up. But he added in a whisper, so only she could hear him, "But honestly, I don't think you should hold out if there is someone you're interested in. Jamie and Sophie could use a father figure, and I think your husband would want you to be happy. Don't think you're being disloyal to his memory, any more than taking me in was disloyal to Jacob's memory."

Mrs. Bennett blinked in surprise, and then her face softened. "Yare wise beyond your years Jack," she told him softly.

"Well I'm over three hundred years old," he laughed. "I had to learn something along the way, didn't I?"

"Heh." Mrs. Bennett gave him a sad smile, then hugged him one last time before letting him go. "You'd better get moving if you want to get out of here before the sun comes up. I don't want you to have to jump in any more frozen lakes."

"Aw, where's your sense of adventure?" Jack joked. He backed up a few steps, then stopped, as if remembering something. "Oh yeah! Before I go, I have presents for all of you. It was North's idea." North smiled and held his bag out to Jack, who took it and reached inside. "All right, for you Jamie," he said, pulling out a long crooked branch, "I want you to have the staff I used earlier today."

"Awesome!" Jamie cried, holing it reverently. "Is it magic like yours?"

"Uh, I'm not sure," Jack admitted. When he saw the look of alarm on Mrs. Bennett's face, he added, "Probably not, though, so don't go trying anything crazy." He ruffled the little boy's hair. "Carry it well, and never forget to guard your belief and that of others."

"I will," Jamie promised.

"All right, now for you Soph," Jack reached into the sack again, "I know you like bunnies, so here is an ice rabbit of your very own." He pulled out a toy rabbit made completely out of ice, similar to the one he'd made a few months back when he had proved the Easter Bunnie's existence to Jamie. "It won't melt or break, so you can play with it as much as you like, okay?"

Sophie looked up at him with big eyes shining as she took the toy. Then she threw her arms around Jack and lisped, "I wuv you big bwudda!" There was a collective gasp.

"She's never spoken a full sentence like that before!" Mrs. Bennett told Jack, sounding slightly awestruck.

"Well, I love you too Soph," Jack said to Sophie, picking her up and swinging her around, making her giggle. He set her down gently and returned the sack to North.

"For you…I honestly didn't know what you would want," Jack admitted as he turned to Mrs. Bennett.

"Jack, you've given me so much already." Mrs. Bennett looked like she was holding back tears. "Wait a second. Turn around."

"Okay." Jack did as instructed. Mrs. Bennett pulled a pair of tiny nail scissors out of her purse and, carefully, snipped a tiny lock of hair off.

"For my locket," she explained as Jack turned back around. She pulled a tiny golden locket out from under her shirt and opened it for Jack to see. Inside was a twist of dark brown hair, one of medium brown, and one of gold. "It has bits of hair from all of my children: Jacob, Jamie, Sophie, and now you." She added the white snippet and clicked the necklace closed. It was Jack now who was holding back tears.

"I'm going to miss all of you," he choked out. "But I promise, I'll be back as soon as I can."

Mrs. Bennett nodded bravely, putting a hand on Jamie's and Sophie's shoulders for support. "Fly safely," she told him.

"Don't worry," Bunnymund spoke up, "I'll keep an eye on 'im for you."

"We all will," North agreed.

Jack nodded, knowing that if he stayed any longer he'd break down and cry. Wordlessly he left the room, his bare feet slapping the floor as he hurried through the house and out the front door. Everyone was still, until Jamie suddenly broke away from his mom's grip and raced after Jack. By the time he got out the front door, Jack was high in the air

"Goodbye!" Jamie called as loudly as he could, waving both arms. "Goodbye!"

Jack waved back to signal that he'd heard, then took off for the South. Jamie watched until he was only a tiny speck on the horizon, biting his lip hard and trying not to cry. He was turning back towards the house when he felt something cold and wet hit the top of his head. He looked up to discover Jack's last present: it was snowing.


	19. Epilogue

Okay, I couldn't leave you all like that! It was a slightly depressing last chapter, and I needed closure, if nothing else. So here you go: the real final chapter of "Melting Jack"!

0o0

Six months later…

"Jamie, you'll catch your death of cold if you don't put a sweater on!" Mrs. Bennett scolded as she came out the backdoor. "You need to go back inside and put something warm on."

"But mom," Jamie protested, looking back at her from his perch on the edge of the tiny concrete step, "I don't want to miss it when Jack comes!"

"All right, I'll go back inside and get you something warm to wear." Mrs. Bennett disappeared through the door and returned a minute later with a small sky-blue sweatshirt.

"Thanks mom!" Jamie said, leaping up and grabbing it. He was a little too eager to put it on, though, and accidentally got tangled up in it.

"Here, let me help," Mrs. Bennett laughed, taking hold of the squirming boy and guiding his head through the proper hole. "Honestly, you could be a little more sensible about this. Sophie's waiting inside coloring. Wouldn't you like to too? We don't even know for sure that Jack's coming tonight."

"He has to," Jamie insisted. "The weatherman said that the first snowfall was supposed to come tonight, so Jack has to be coming with it!"

"Snow can fall naturally without Jack," Mrs. Bennett reminded him gently. "Besides, what have I told you about the weatherman?"

"That he isn't always right?"

"Right."

"Then how come you're wearing your snowflake sweater?"

Mrs. Bennett blushed and sighed. "All right, I'm really hoping Jack comes tonight too," she admitted. "But he could be miles away from here, still pushing the storm front our way. I just don't want you to be disappointed if he doesn't come tonight."

"Oh, he'll come," Jamie responded confidently, putting on a fake Russian accent. "I have a feeling—in my belly!"

"You, young man," Mrs. Bennett laughed, "have been spending way too much time with North."

"I've been spending too much time with him? What about you?" Jamie countered. Mrs. Bennett shook her head.

"Where did the days go when you were little and didn't read into everything I said?" she asked. "All right Mr. Wiseguy, maybe this means no hot cocoa for you."

"You're making cocoa?" Jamie exclaimed. "I'll be good, I promise."

"There's my little guy," Mrs. Bennett said with a laugh. She kissed him lightly on top of his head. "I'll be back in a minute. Do you want marshmallows?"

"Yes please!" Jamie replied as she headed back through the door. Then he turned his attention back to the sky. After a minute, he pulled out his secret weapon: the staff that Jack had given him. He didn't know if it actually had any magical connection to Jack, but he liked to think that maybe it did. "C'mon," he pleaded, closing his eyes tightly and sending up a prayer. "Please, please, please let Jack come back tonight. Please?" he cracked one eye open. Nothing. "Aw man," he sighed, letting his head drop to his hands. Maybe Jack wasn't coming after all.

"Wow," he suddenly heard a voice say, "if the others had told me things were this bad, I wouldn't have made that stop to make one last blizzard in Chili."

"Jack?" Jamie leaped up, searching the sky for any sign of him. "Jack, is that you?"

Suddenly a snow ball hit the back of his head.

"Jack!" Jamie cried, turning around to find Jack standing right behind him.

"Hey bud! Miss me?" Jack asked with a grin.

"Only every day!" Jamie replied, throwing his arms around Jack.

"Wow, someone's gotten taller," Jack laughed, returning the hug.

"I grew three whole inches over the summer," Jamie confirmed. "Mom says I'm having a growth spurt."

"How 'bout that?" Jack looked momentarily sad, but almost instantly replaced that expression with a smile. "Where are mom and Sophie?"

"Inside," Jamie replied. "Mom's making cocoa. She didn't think you were going to come."

"Well, let's surprise her then," Jack said, motioning for Jamie to follow him into the kitchen.

"Jamie? Is that you?" Mrs. Bennett asked, not turning away from the stove. "Did you decide to wait inside like I told you?"

Jamie glanced over at Jack, but the older boy put a finger to his lips to signal for him to be quiet. Then Jack snuck forward, waiting until just as Mrs. Bennett put down her spoon to give her a surprise hug.

"Eek!" she cried, her hands flying up in the air.

"Hey mom," Jack greeted her, holding out the hug for a second longer. It had been a long summer/winter, and he realized that he had really missed the hugs he'd gotten in this family.

"Jack, I didn't think you were going to come tonight," Mrs. Bennett said, spinning around as soon as Jack let her go. "Why didn't you tell me you were coming?"

"I wanted to surprise you," Jack replied with a mischievous grin.

"You certainly did that." Mrs. Bennett tried to look stern but was unable to keep the sparkle out of her eyes. "Let me take a look at you." She held him out at arm's length.

"You're not going to see much of a difference," Jack told her. "I don't get any older, remember?"

"I still want to get a good look," Mrs. Bennett responded. "A mother's got a right to want to make sure her child's alright after he's been gone for six months, don't you think?"

"I know better than to argue with you," Jack laughed. At that moment, Sophie came running into the room.

"Jack!" she cried excitedly, running right up to him and holding out her arms. "Hold me! Hold me!"

"All right little girl, I got you." Jack picked her up and swung her around. "Oof! Someone's getting big. Have you been eating your vegetables?"

"Yes!" Sophie gave him a toothy grin.

"Good girl." He set her down. Then he glanced up at Mrs. Bennett. "I know it's getting late and you all probably have school in the morning. Do you want me to come back tomorrow afternoon so you can get the kids to bed?"

"Well…" Mrs. Bennett leaned up against the stove, looking thoughtful. "Tomorrow is the last day of school before Thanksgiving break. Nothing really gets done on that day except some class parties. Usually I wouldn't condone any child missing school, but the forecast did call for snow…"

"Are you suggesting what I think you're suggesting?" Jack asked with a smile.

"Snow day!" Jamie shouted, punching his fists in the air.

"Okay." Jack started towards the door. "I'll be back in a minute."

"Can I come with you?" Jamie asked eagerly. Jack stopped short, looking back towards Mrs. Bennett.

"I don't know. Can he?" Jamie tuned to look at her too, doing his best puppydog face.

"All right, fine, Jamie can go," she said with an amused sigh. "Just make sure he's safe," she called after Jack as the two hurried outside.

"Don't worry," Jack replied, poking his head back in the door. "I always do."

"Well, except that one time with the couch," Jamie pointed out.

"Ixnay on the ouchcay if you actually want mom to let you go," Jack whispered. "We'll be back soon," he said louder for Mrs. Bennett's benefit. She waved as the two took off into the night sky, then turned back to the stove, shaking her head, Life around here with Jack was certainly never normal.

As promised, Jack and Jamie returned fairly quickly. Jack had brought some heavy snow clouds in with him, and now lowered the temperature of the ground for good measure to ensure a deep freeze and school closings the next day. The little family gathered in the living room to catch up, most of them under piles of blankets so that they wouldn't have to light a fire and risk Jack's melting again. Jack regaled them with tales of his exploits, and then Mrs. Bennett pulled out photo albums so Jack could see what the rest of them had been doing all summer.

"I got occasional updates from the rest of the Guardians," Jack told her as he flipped eagerly through the pages. "It was a little hard for them to keep track of me since I always had to be on the move, but Tooth always made sure I got your messages."

"Yes, she brought your letters back as well," Mrs. Bennett said, nodding her approval as she sipped on her cocoa. "She's a charming young lady, don't you think?"

"Mmph!" Jack tried not to choke on his own frozen version of the drink. "Mom! Don't do that to me while I've got my mouth full!"

"Sorry," she apologized, but she had a glint of mischief in her eyes. "So, does this mean that you are interested in her?"

Jack tried to roll his eyes, but couldn't help but smile a little. "Well, she did keep me company while I was down south. We got a lot of time to talk. She's got a lot on her plate since it's always night somewhere on Earth and someone's always losing a tooth, but we got little breaks in between work. We've decided to take it slow."

"I was hoping you'd say that." Mrs. Bennett took another sip of her drink, trying but not succeeding to suppress her grin.

"Can we talk about something interesting?" Jamie asked, not one to stand by romance.

"Sure buddy," Jack replied. "Tell me about something cool you did this summer."

"Well, Pippa and Cupcake and Monty and the twins and I built a fort in the woods behind the park," Jamie told him, "but we had to take it down because raccoons and a foxes and other animals kept getting into it."

"That's too bad." Jack gave him a sympathetic look.

"Yeah," Jamie agreed. "But Bunnymund let us rebuild it down in his warren."

"Really?" Jack was surprised. Usually Bunny was pretty strict about what he allowed to go on in his home underneath the ground.

"You could say he was a little…distracted." Mrs. Bennett gave Jack a meaningful look. "A certain Scottish friend of yours was down their nearly every day with the children, supervising them and getting some target practice in."

"Ah." Jack tried to laugh. "I was wondering about that."

"Oh, and Bunnymund came over to babysit a few times too," Jamie continued, their side conversation going over his head.

"Really?" Jack looked at Mrs. Bennett over the rim of his mug. "Can I assume that you took my advice?"

"Well…sort of." Mrs. Bennett twirled her hair around her finger, blushing like a school girl. "North's been taking me out to dinner a few times each month."

"He's been what?" Jack cried. Jamie nodded, rolling his eyes as if he too had a hard time believing it. "Why haven't I heard about this before?"

"Well, I wanted to wait and tell you in person," Mrs. Bennett replied. "Besides, I didn't know how serious it was to begin with."

"And now?" Jack waited breathlessly for her reply.

"Well…let's just say we're taking it slow for now too." Mrs. Bennett sounded somewhat evasive. "His busy season is about to start and so he's probably not going to have as much free time…"

"You don't know him like I do." Jack shook his head, feeling a smile starting to creep across his face. "If anything, North gets even more energetic as the Christmas season progresses. I'm starting to think I see a Christmas Eve proposal in the near future."

"What? No!" Mrs. Bennett protested. "I mean, he did promise to make our house the last stop, but that's for Jamie and Sophie's sake."

"Uh huh. Believe what you want, but I'm just going to tell you to watch out for mistletoe this year."

"You'd better not say anything at Thanksgiving dinner," Mrs. Bennett told him, her cheeks burning.

"You invited him to Thanksgiving dinner?" Jack was outright laughing at this point.

"I don't get what's so funny," Jamie complained, sounding half asleep. "Grownups are so weird."

"Sorry Jamie," Jack apologized, realizing just how late it was. Sophie had already long nodded off to sleep, and Jamie didn't look far behind her. "C'mon. I'll carry you up to bed."

"No," Jamie protested, forcing his eyes to stay open. "I'm not *yawn* sleepy."

"Okay." Jack exchanged a look with Mrs. Bennett, and they continued to converse in low tones until Jamie had finally drifted off.

"They're getting big," Jack said, lightly ruffling Jamie's hair.

"I know it," Mrs. Bennett sighed. "Sophie's looking more and more like her dad every day, and Jamie… well, he looks a lot like Jacob did at that age." Jack nodded, glad to notice that Mrs. Bennett had mentioned the names of her deceased family members without getting too emotional. He took it as a good sign that she was healing. As Jamie rolled over in his sleep, however, Jack's face darkened slightly.

"Jack, what's wrong?" Mrs. Bennett asked, her brow furrowing. "You look so serious all of a sudden."

"I guess I'm just thinking about the future," Jack told her, twisting his staff nervously in his hands.

"Jack, if this is about me and North—" Mrs. Bennett began, but Jack cut her off.

"No, it's not that."

"Are you thinking about you and Tooth?"

"No. Honestly, for some reason neither of those things have me worried. You'd think they would—but they don't. I just know somehow that they're going to work out okay."

"All right then. What is bothering you?"

"It's—Jamie," Jack finally admitted.

"Jamie? What about Jamie?" Mrs. Bennett gave him a concerned look. "Is something wrong?"

"No, nothing—unless you count his getting older as being a problem."

"What's so wrong with Jamie getting older? You of all people should know that's a natural part of life."

Jack let out a sigh. "I do. I guess—I guess I'm just scared."

"Scared of what?" Mrs. Bennett moved over so she could be closer to Jack.

"Well, for one thing, it reminds me of you guy's mortality. " Jack stared up at the pictures on the mantle which showed different members of the family at various ages. "It makes me remember that, since I'm basically immortal, I will probably outlive you all. And I hate to think of that."

"Oh Jack." Mrs. Bennett sighed. "You know as much as I do that death is a natural part of life, and you can't spend all of your time worrying about it or you'll miss what's going on in the present."

"Yeah," Jack agreed. "I guess that's my other worry, though—about the present. Jamie's already ten. Very soon he's going to be older than me—or at least, older than the age I'm stuck at."

"Right. But is that really such a big deal, Jamie's getting older than you?"

"It wouldn't be if I weren't so scared that he was going to stop believing in me."

"Stop believing—Jack, are you listening to yourself? Jamie is your best friend and little brother. How could he stop believing in you? You're going to live under the same roof for half of the year for pete's sake!"

"I know. It's just…while I was down south, I kept having this horrible nightmare. Jamie would be at school getting picked on for believing in me, and when he came back home he couldn't see me anymore. I'd try to call out to him, but he couldn't hear me. he would always walk right through me and then I would wake up screaming." Jack put his head down between his knees. "I know they were just dreams, but they were terrifying."

Mrs. Bennett regarded him silently for a moment, then reached out and grabbed his hand. "I think you need to see something."

"What?" Jack asked, looking up at her.

"Just follow me," Mrs. Bennett replied, pulling him towards the stairs. In the upstairs hall, she opened a door that led into a closet, wherein was stored an old cedar chest.

"This is where I put my special keepsakes," she explained, opening the lid. "Old birthday cards, drawings the kids have made, that sort of thing. And this," she pulled out a red folder bulging with papers, "is a special file I've been keeping from just this summer." She handed it to Jack, who opened it curiously. Inside were literally hundreds of drawings.

"They're all of me," Jack gasped. "But who—"

"Jamie drew them all," Mrs. Bennett told him, folding her arms. "Every single day he drew new ones, imagining what you were doing and 'chronicling' your adventures—that's what he called it. And take a look at these." She pulled a few snapshots out of the folder's pockets. "I took a lot of them while he wasn't looking, but he and his friends spent all summer playing guardians. He was you very time. I think he was too shy to tell you, but he even dressed up as you for Halloween. That blue sweatshirt he was wearing? That was part of his costume. He hardly ever takes it off, even when he goes to bed! You're his hero, Jack. How could he ever forget you?"

Jack felt his heart warm as he looked through the photos and drawings, but then a small stab of fear went through him. He put them slowly down and muttered softly, "People's heroes change. Who's to say that who one person looks up to one day won't be old hat the next?"

"For the love of—" Mrs. Bennett reached back down into the trunk and pulled out a small yarn bound book. "This was Jamie's Family Day project for school. I want you to read it."

"Now?" Jack asked, taking it.

"Now." Mrs. Bennett didn't look like she was going to budge, so Jack moved over to where the moon light was shining in through the window.

"My Brother Jack," Jack read aloud from the cover. He opened it to the first page. "My big brother is the coolest brother in the world. And when I say 'cool' I mean literally. My brother is Jack Frost. He makes the snow and blizzards and helps bring winter to the world. He's also a guardian. That means that he looks out for children everywhere. He makes sure that they keep believing and magic, which keeps evil creatures like Pitch the Nightmare King from hurting them and lets the other guardians like Santa Claus and the Easter Bunny keep doing their jobs. But the most important thing Jack does…is being my big brother." Jack swallowed hard. "He-he watches out for me and my sister Sophie. He teaches us fun games and does magic for us. He even saved me from falling into a frozen lake. But Jack has a problem. You see, Jack can't be seen by most people and it makes him very lovely. He can't be seen because people have to believe in him in order to see him. So that's why I wanted to write about him. He's done so much for me that I want to tell people about him so that more people can see him and he won't be so lonely. He's got my family and the guardians, of course, but he travels a lot and can't always be with us. I'd like for him to have lots of friends all over the world so he'll never have to be lonely. I love my big brother very much and I promise to always believe in him. The end." Jack slowly closed the book, blinking back tears.

"I-I don't know what to say," he finally whispered.

"Jamie read that story in front of the whole school," Mrs. Bennett told him. "I think you owe your brother more faith than you've been giving him. He believes so strongly in you. I think it's time you believed in him."

"Yeah." Jack held the book to his chest. "Would you—would you mind if I held onto this for a little while?"

"Of course," Mrs. Bennett smiled. "I made plenty of copies, so you can keep it for as long as you want."

"Thanks."

Mrs. Bennett yawned. "Well, it's getting late. I think I'm going to head to bed. I'll go down to get Sophie. Want to come with me?"

"Sure." Jack followed her down the stairs and picked Sophie up from her mound of blankets. He kissed her gently on top of the head before handing her over to Mrs. Bennett.

"Are you coming?" Mrs. Bennett asked as she started to head for the stairs.

"No, I think I'll stay down here for a minute," Jack responded, gesturing towards the still sleeping Jamie.

"Of course. Good night Jack," she said, smiling and starting up the stairs. "It's good to have you home."

Jack nodded, then slid down net to Jamie on the floor. The little boy mumbled in his sleep, rolling over so that his head rested in Jack's lap. Jack drew in a quick breath, then let it out slowly and smiled. He reached down and ruffled the boy's hair. "Thank you Jamie," he whispered. "Thank you for everything. None of this would have been possible without you." Jamie snuggled closer in his sleep and Jack held him until he too had fallen asleep. The two stayed there for the rest of the night, the light of the full moon shining down on them.

~The End~  
0o0  
Wow, what a ride! If you stuck with me this far, thank you so much and a hearty congratulations to you! Virtual Toothless-shaped cookies to all of you lovelies I hope everyone enjoyed this story as much as I did. In case you're wondering, I'm hoping to continue on with other fanfics- there's too much material to just leave it hanging. How do Merida, Rapunzel, and Hiccup become Guardians? Who are the other mysterious *well, sort of* Guardians going to be? What's going on between Mrs. Bennett and North (yeah, shocker, right?) It may be a little while with college and everything, but I don't think this story's quite over yet! God bless y'all, and I'll hopefully see you soon with more adventures for you to read!


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